HEI is a leading manufacturer of jet engine components for the aerospace industry.
It is a key supplier known for producing highly engineered parts utilized in military, commercial, and general aviation aircraft engines.
Updated: February 19, 2026, 16:00 EST
Based on a comprehensive review of HEI's technical, fundamental, and valuation metrics, the analysis yields a cautious overall picture.
Technical Analysis & Fundamentals: HEI demonstrates technical resilience, with its recent pullback appearing more as a correction than a trend reversal, supported by its market-average volatility. Fundamentally, the company is strong, showcasing solid revenue growth, exceptional profitability with net margins over 15%, and a very healthy balance sheet with low debt and high liquidity.
Valuation & Risk: The primary concern is an extremely rich valuation. Metrics like a TTM PE over 62 and a PEG ratio above 9.3 suggest the stock is pricing in near-perfect future performance, leaving little room for error. While the company's quality is undeniable, the current price presents significant downside risk if growth fails to meet lofty expectations.
Recommendation: HEI is a high-quality company but appears to be a HOLD at current levels. The exceptional fundamentals are already more than reflected in the steep valuation. A more attractive entry point would likely emerge during a broader market pullback or if the company significantly surpasses earnings growth expectations to justify its premium. Investors should await a better risk-reward balance before committing new capital.
Based on the provided analysis, the 12-month outlook for HEI (Heico Corporation) is one of high quality but elevated risk.
Key Catalysts: The primary catalyst would be the company significantly exceeding its lofty earnings growth expectations, thereby justifying its premium valuation through demonstrably faster-than-anticipated expansion. Continued strong execution and solid revenue growth could also support the price.
Potential Risks: The foremost risk is valuation compression. Given the extremely rich multiples (TTM P/E >62, PEG >9.3), the stock is highly vulnerable to any negative earnings surprises, a broader market downturn, or a sector-wide de-rating of high-priced growth stocks. Failure to meet the "perfect" growth priced in could lead to a sharp correction.
Target Price Outlook: While no specific analyst target is provided, the current price of $337.21 appears to be at or near a peak valuation. A more attractive entry point, and thus a more sustainable target range, would likely be materially lower, contingent on a market pullback or a period of consolidation that realigns the price with fundamental growth.
Most Wall Street analysts are optimistic about HEICO Corporation's 12-month outlook, with consensus target around $345.99, indicating expected upside potential.
Overall, HEI has investment potential but also faces challenges. Here are key factors to weigh before investing.
HEI has demonstrated strong long-term performance with significant gains from its 52-week low, though it has experienced recent weakness. The stock has substantially outperformed the broader market over the past three months despite a moderate pullback in the most recent month. Current price levels reflect relative resilience given the stock's historical volatility profile.
Over the past month, HEI has declined 5.82%, showing short-term pressure, though this pullback follows a 2.51% gain over three months that outpaced the market by 2.53%. This suggests the recent downturn may represent a technical correction rather than a fundamental deterioration, particularly given the stock's beta near 1.0 indicating market-average volatility.
Currently trading at approximately 93% of its 52-week high, HEI sits near the upper end of its annual range despite the recent dip. With prices still well above the mid-point of the 52-week range and the maximum drawdown of -12.7% suggesting limited downside volatility historically, the stock does not appear significantly overbought or oversold at current levels.
| Period | HEI Return | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| 1m | +0.4% | +1.0% |
| 3m | +9.0% | +1.9% |
| 6m | +9.5% | +6.5% |
| 1y | +53.4% | +12.1% |
| ytd | +5.1% | +0.2% |
HEI demonstrates solid revenue growth and profitability, with quarterly revenue rising from $1.15 billion to $1.21 billion between Q3 and Q4 2025. The company maintains strong margins, evidenced by a gross profit ratio exceeding 40% and a net income ratio of 15.6% in Q4, indicating effective cost control and pricing power.
The company exhibits robust financial health, with a conservative debt profile highlighted by a low debt ratio of 25.8% and a manageable debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. HEI's interest coverage ratio of 8.5x demonstrates ample capacity to service its obligations, while a current ratio near 2.8 provides significant liquidity cushion.
Operational efficiency appears mixed, with a respectable return on equity of 4.4% but relatively low asset turnover of 0.14. The extended cash conversion cycle of 189 days, driven by high inventory days outstanding at 161, suggests potential working capital optimization opportunities despite healthy fixed asset turnover of 2.8x.
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Try Now & Get Tesla Stock RewardValuation Level: HEI's current valuation metrics indicate significant overvaluation across multiple measures. The TTM PE ratio of 62.18 and forward PE of approximately 58.74 are exceptionally high by any standard, signaling investors are paying a substantial premium for earnings. Most concerning is the PEG ratio exceeding 9.3, demonstrating minimal earnings growth to justify these multiples, while the elevated EV/EBITDA of 139.4 suggests stretched enterprise value relative to cash flows.
Peer Comparison: Without specific industry average data for comparison, we must rely on broader market context. HEI's valuation ratios substantially exceed typical market benchmarks across all sectors, with the S&P 500's historical PE average around 15-20. The company's multiples appear disconnected from conventional valuation parameters, suggesting it trades at a significant premium to both the overall market and likely its industry peers, though precise comparative analysis requires industry-specific data.
Volatility Risk: HEI's beta of essentially 1.00 indicates market-average volatility, suggesting its price movements closely track the broader market. The 12-month maximum drawdown of -12.7% demonstrates moderate downside risk, representing a contained but notable loss potential during recent market stress.
Other Risks: The absence of any reported short interest significantly mitigates the risk of a short squeeze and suggests a lack of strong negative speculative sentiment. As a dual-class stock (HEI, HEI.A), investors should be aware of potential corporate governance and liquidity differences between the share classes.
Bullish. HEI demonstrates strong financial health and revenue growth, supported by unanimous analyst buy ratings and strategic acquisitions that bolster its aerospace positioning. However, the stock carries significant valuation risk due to its exceptionally high P/E and PEG ratios. This is suitable for long-term growth investors who can tolerate premium valuations for sector-leading performance and are confident in the company's ability to grow into its current price.
HEI appears significantly overvalued based on its current valuation metrics. The stock's TTM PE ratio of 62.18 and forward PE of approximately 59 are exceptionally high compared to the S&P 500's historical average of 15-20, while its elevated PEG ratio of 9.3 indicates minimal earnings growth justifies these premiums. Despite the company's solid revenue growth and strong profitability with a 15.6% net income margin, these fundamentals do not sufficiently support the extreme multiples, suggesting the stock trades at a substantial premium to both the broader market and likely its industry peers.
Based on the provided information, here are the key risks of holding HEI:
1. Industry and Market Correlation Risk: With a beta near 1.00, HEI is highly susceptible to broad market downturns, meaning its performance is strongly tied to general economic conditions beyond its specific control. 2. Working Capital and Operational Efficiency Risk: A cash conversion cycle of 189 days, driven by high inventory days (161), indicates potential inefficiency and exposes the company to risks of inventory obsolescence or tightening liquidity. 3. Corporate Governance Risk: The dual-class share structure (HEI, HEI.A) can create a divergence between shareholder voting power and economic interest, potentially leading to decisions that do not align with the interests of common shareholders. 4. Return on Equity Risk: A relatively low Return on Equity (ROE) of 4.4% suggests the company may not be generating optimal returns on shareholder investments, which could limit long-term price appreciation.
Based on HEI's premium valuation and growth trajectory, my 2026 forecast reflects its leadership position balanced against execution risks.
My base case target range is $360-$400, assuming HEI maintains 8-10% annual earnings growth through consistent aerospace aftermarket demand; my bull case of $430-$480 would require accelerating M&A integration and exceeding 12% growth.
Key assumptions include sustained aviation industry growth, successful management of working capital inefficiencies, and no major valuation compression from current elevated multiples.
This forecast carries significant uncertainty as HEI's rich valuation makes it highly sensitive to any earnings disappointments or market shifts in sentiment toward growth stocks.