Curtiss-Wright Corp designs, manufactures, and overhauls highly engineered, critical products for the aerospace, defense, and industrial markets.
It is a specialized supplier of sophisticated components and subsystems, leveraging its deep engineering expertise to serve missions where performance and reliability are paramount.
Updated: January 14, 2026, 16:00 EST
Based on a comprehensive review, CW presents a complex investment case with strong momentum and financial health but significant valuation concerns.
Technical Analysis & Fundamentals: CW is showing impressive bullish momentum, having substantially outperformed the market recently. This strength is supported by robust profitability and a very healthy balance sheet with manageable debt. However, the stock is trading extremely close to its 52-week high, suggesting limited immediate upside and increased risk of a pullback. Furthermore, operational metrics like the low asset turnover indicate some inefficiency in how the company utilizes its capital.
Valuation & Risk: The primary concern is valuation. Key metrics like the P/E ratio near 50 and EV/EBITDA of 105 are exceptionally high, indicating that a great deal of future growth is already priced into the stock. This creates vulnerability if the company's performance fails to meet these lofty expectations. While the risk profile is moderated by its market-average volatility and lack of significant short interest, the high valuation and overbought technical condition pose substantial near-term risks.
Recommendation: Based on the analysis, a Buy recommendation is not warranted at this time. While the company’s underlying business is fundamentally sound, the current stock price appears to have run ahead of itself, reflecting overly optimistic expectations. The extreme overbought condition and premium valuation create a high risk-to-reward scenario. Investors should await a more attractive entry point, such as a meaningful price correction, before considering a position.
*** *Note: This analysis is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Please conduct your own research or consult a financial advisor before making any investment decisions.*
Of course. Here is a 12-month outlook for CW based on the provided analysis.
12-Month Outlook:
CW's outlook is heavily bifurcated by its strong operational momentum against its severe valuation premium. The key catalyst will be the company's ability to consistently deliver earnings growth that justifies its current P/E ratio of approximately 50. Any positive surprises in operational efficiency or asset turnover could provide a further boost. However, the primary risk is a significant correction, as the stock is trading near its 52-week high and appears overbought; any failure to meet lofty growth expectations or a broader market downturn would likely trigger a sharp pullback. Without a specific analyst target provided, a plausible 12-month target range is contingent on a price correction to more sustainable valuation levels, suggesting a potential range of $550 - $650 as the market seeks a new equilibrium between its strong fundamentals and expensive price tag.
Most Wall Street analysts are optimistic about CW's 12-month outlook, with consensus target around $636.65, indicating expected upside potential.
Overall, CW has investment potential but also faces challenges. Here are key factors to weigh before investing.
CW has demonstrated exceptional bullish performance, consistently delivering impressive returns while significantly outpacing the broader market.
Over the last one and three months, the stock has posted substantial gains of 11.67% and 14.58% respectively, dramatically outperforming the market by 11.21% over the latter period. This short-term momentum highlights strong positive investor sentiment despite the stock's beta suggesting near-market-average volatility.
The current price sits at approximately 99.4% of its 52-week high, indicating an extremely overbought position. This proximity to the all-time peak suggests limited immediate upside potential and elevated risk of a pullback, especially considering the stock's history of a significant maximum drawdown exceeding 26% within the past year.
| Period | CW Return | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| 1m | +16.7% | +1.3% |
| 3m | +18.0% | +5.7% |
| 6m | +31.7% | +10.6% |
| 1y | +76.0% | +16.5% |
| ytd | +11.2% | +1.1% |
Revenue & Profitability: CW's Q3 2025 revenue of $869 million shows a slight sequential decrease from the prior quarter's $877 million. Profitability remains robust, with a net income margin of 14.4% holding steady and demonstrating effective cost control, as gross margins remained stable near 37.7%.
Financial Health: The company maintains a strong balance sheet with a modest debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45 and a healthy current ratio of 1.75. The solid interest coverage ratio of 15.9 indicates ample earnings to service debt obligations comfortably.
Operational Efficiency: CW's operational performance is mixed, with a respectable return on equity of 4.9%. However, the asset turnover ratio of 0.17 suggests relatively low efficiency in generating revenue from its asset base, while the lengthy cash conversion cycle of 162 days points to significant capital tied up in working capital.
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Try Now & Get Tesla Stock RewardCW's valuation metrics suggest significant overvaluation across multiple measures. With a TTM PE of 49.5 and forward PE of 40.9, both well above typical market averages, the stock trades at a substantial premium to current earnings. The elevated PB ratio of 9.1 and PS ratio of 6.8 further indicate high valuation relative to both assets and revenue, while the extremely high PEG ratio exceeding 10 and EV/EBITDA of 105 suggest growth expectations are priced at unsustainable levels.
Without industry average data available for comparison, it's difficult to determine if these premium valuations are justified by sector norms or exceptional company performance. However, given the magnitude of these ratios compared to broader market standards, investors should approach with caution and seek industry-specific benchmarks to better contextualize whether CW's premium pricing reflects sector dynamics or genuine overvaluation.
CW exhibits moderate volatility risk, as evidenced by its Beta of 0.948 indicating the stock's price movements correlate closely with the broader market's fluctuations. The significant 1-year maximum drawdown of -26.27% demonstrates that investors faced substantial temporary losses during recent market downturns, highlighting meaningful downside exposure despite the near-market-average Beta.
The absence of short interest reduces concerns about coordinated bearish bets or short squeeze potential, suggesting generally neutral market sentiment toward the stock. However, this neutrality doesn't eliminate other risks—factors like sector concentration, company-specific operational challenges, or broader market liquidity conditions could still pose threats that aren't reflected in the short interest data.
Neutral to slightly bearish - While CW shows strong technical momentum and solid fundamentals, its extreme overbought position and significantly overvalued metrics suggest limited near-term upside. The stock appears priced for perfection, trading near 52-week highs with a TTM PE of 49.5 and unsustainable growth expectations (PEG >10). Suitable for risk-tolerant investors who believe nuclear growth catalysts can justify current premiums, but cautious investors should wait for a pullback.
Based on the provided metrics, CW stock appears significantly overvalued. Its P/E ratio of 49.5 and P/S ratio of 6.8 are exceptionally high relative to broader market standards, and a PEG ratio exceeding 10 signals that its price far outpaces its actual growth prospects. While the company shows robust profitability (14.4% net margin) and a healthy balance sheet (debt-to-equity of 0.45), the valuation multiples suggest investors are pricing in unsustainable future growth, particularly given the company's low asset turnover and lengthy cash conversion cycle which indicate operational inefficiencies.
Based on the provided information, here are the key risks of holding CW stock, ordered by importance:
1. Market Risk & Overbought Condition: The stock is trading near its 52-week high (99.4%), indicating an elevated risk of a price correction, especially given its history of a significant 26% maximum drawdown and its high correlation with broader market downturns (Beta of 0.948). 2. Operational Efficiency Risk: The company's lengthy cash conversion cycle of 162 days indicates inefficient working capital management, tying up significant capital and potentially hindering liquidity and operational agility. 3. Business Momentum Risk: A sequential decline in quarterly revenue (from $877M to $869M) may signal slowing business growth or competitive pressures, which could challenge future earnings potential despite current robust profitability.
Based on the provided analysis projecting from current trends, here is a forecast for CW stock through 2026.
2026 Price Forecast & Outlook
By 2026, CW's stock will be heavily driven by its ability to improve operational efficiency to justify its premium valuation. Assuming sustained revenue growth and successful efforts to shorten the cash conversion cycle, a base case target range of $700 - $800 is plausible. A bull case upwards of $900+ would require significantly exceeding asset turnover expectations and expanding margins.
The primary growth drivers are (1) consistent execution on robust profitability (net income margin >14%), (2) leveraging a strong balance sheet for strategic initiatives, and (3) demonstrable improvements in operational efficiency, particularly the asset turnover ratio.
Key assumptions include no major economic downturn, successful management of working capital, and that the company continues to meet or exceed earnings growth expectations. This forecast is highly uncertain, as CW's current high valuation makes it exceptionally sensitive to any negative earnings surprises or shifts in market sentiment.