LHX is a global technology company focused on advanced defense and aerospace systems in the search, detection, navigation, and guidance sectors.
It is a trusted provider known for developing mission-critical solutions that enhance the capabilities of defense and intelligence customers.
Updated: February 19, 2026, 16:00 EST
Technical Analysis LHX shows strong momentum, with significant double-digit gains outperforming the broader market. It trades near its 52-week high, indicating positive investor sentiment, though it may be moderately overbought. The shallow maximum drawdown suggests disciplined profit-taking rather than heavy selling pressure, supporting continued upward potential.
Fundamentals Revenue stability is offset by noticeable margin compression, as net income and operating margins declined in recent quarters. While the company maintains moderate leverage and efficient working capital management, returns on equity and asset utilization remain modest, indicating adequate but not standout operational performance.
Valuation LHX appears significantly overvalued, with extremely high trailing and forward P/E ratios and an elevated EV/EBITDA. These multiples suggest the current price may not be justified by earnings or near-term growth prospects, presenting a premium compared to typical industry peers.
Risk The stock exhibits low volatility relative to the market and has shown resilience with minimal drawdowns, reducing downside risk. High liquidity and lack of speculative short interest further contribute to a lower-risk profile for investors.
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LHX demonstrates strong technical momentum and a lower-risk profile, but its lofty valuation and weakening profitability raise concerns. While the stock may appeal to momentum-focused investors, the high multiples suggest limited margin of safety. Caution is advised; wait for a clearer improvement in fundamentals or a more attractive entry point before considering a purchase.
*Note: This is not investment advice, for reference only.*
Based on the provided analysis, here is a 12-month outlook for L3Harris Technologies (LHX):
12-Month Outlook for LHX
The outlook is cautious despite positive momentum, as the stock's trajectory hinges on improving underlying profitability. A key catalyst would be a successful reversal of the recent margin compression, which could justify its premium valuation. The primary risk remains the significant overvaluation; if earnings growth fails to meet lofty expectations, the stock is vulnerable to a substantial correction. While no analyst target was provided, the combination of high multiples and modest operational performance suggests the potential price range is likely to be volatile, with strong resistance near current levels unless fundamentals materially improve.
Most Wall Street analysts are optimistic about L3Harris Technologies, Inc.'s 12-month outlook, with consensus target around $358.70, indicating expected upside potential.
Overall, LHX has investment potential but also faces challenges. Here are key factors to weigh before investing.
LHX has demonstrated exceptional performance with strong double-digit gains over recent months, significantly outperforming the broader market. The stock shows robust momentum despite its lower volatility profile relative to the market.
Short-term performance remains positive with a 1.81% monthly gain building on substantial 14.89% quarterly appreciation. The stock has beaten the market by nearly 15 percentage points over three months, indicating strong relative strength that has persisted through recent trading periods.
Currently trading near its 52-week high at approximately 94% of the peak level, LHX appears moderately overbought but maintains positive momentum. The relatively shallow maximum drawdown of -11.23% over the past year suggests disciplined profit-taking rather than significant selling pressure during advances.
| Period | LHX Return | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| 1m | +4.8% | +1.0% |
| 3m | +24.4% | +1.9% |
| 6m | +32.8% | +6.5% |
| 1y | +81.9% | +12.1% |
| ytd | +17.8% | +0.2% |
LHX demonstrates stable quarterly revenue with slight fluctuation between Q3 and Q4 2025, but profitability metrics weakened significantly in Q4. The net income ratio declined from 8.2% to 5.3%, while operating margins contracted from 11.0% to 6.9%, indicating rising cost pressures despite relatively stable top-line performance. This suggests margin compression rather than revenue challenges as the primary concern.
The company maintains moderate financial leverage with a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53 and healthy interest coverage of 2.75 times. However, the cash ratio of 0.15 appears relatively low, though strong operating cash flow generation at 34.7% of sales provides adequate liquidity support. The negative cash conversion cycle of -4.8 days indicates efficient working capital management with favorable payment terms.
Operational efficiency metrics show room for improvement, with ROE at just 1.5% and asset turnover of 0.14 reflecting modest capital utilization. While inventory turnover of 3.4 and receivables turnover of 4.1 demonstrate reasonable working capital efficiency, the low returns suggest potential underutilization of the asset base. The company's operational performance appears adequate but not particularly strong relative to its invested capital.
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Try Now & Get Tesla Stock RewardValuation Level: LHX appears significantly overvalued based on its trailing and forward PE ratios of 40.3 and 47.4, which are both exceptionally high for a mature company. The excessive EV/EBITDA ratio of 100.9 and negative PEG ratio underscore substantial valuation concerns, suggesting current earnings and growth expectations do not justify the elevated price levels.
Peer Comparison: Without specific industry averages, a precise peer comparison is limited. However, given the unusually high valuation multiples relative to standard market benchmarks, it is reasonable to infer that LHX trades at a premium compared to typical defense or technology peers. Further context from industry data would be required to confirm the extent of this valuation disparity.
Based on its Beta of 0.64, LHX exhibits low volatility risk relative to the broader market and has demonstrated resilience with a relatively modest maximum one-year drawdown of -11.23%. This suggests the stock has historically been less susceptible to wide price swings than the market average, providing a degree of capital preservation during downturns.
LHX appears to face minimal speculative pressure, as indicated by the lack of reported short interest, which reduces the risk of a short squeeze. Furthermore, while specific liquidity metrics are not provided, the stock of a major defense contractor like L3Harris is generally considered to be highly liquid due to its large market capitalization and institutional ownership.
Neutral - LHX presents a mixed picture at current levels. While strong momentum and a favorable risk profile (low beta, modest drawdowns) are positive, significant margin compression and extreme valuation multiples (P/E over 40) create headwinds. This stock is best suited for momentum-focused investors who can tolerate the high valuation, while value and income-oriented investors should wait for a more attractive entry point.
LHX appears significantly overvalued based on key valuation metrics. Its trailing PE of 40.3 and forward PE of 47.4 are exceptionally high for a mature defense company, especially when compared to typical industry averages in the 15-20 range. The negative PEG ratio (-1.35) confirms that growth expectations do not support these premium multiples, particularly given the concerning margin compression evident in Q4 results where operating margins contracted to 6.9%. The high valuation is difficult to justify given the company's modest profitability (1.5% ROE) and operational metrics.
Based on the information provided, here are the key risks of holding LHX stock, ordered by importance.
1. Profitability Contraction: The company faces significant business risk from weakening profitability, as evidenced by a sharp decline in both net income and operating margins in the latest quarter despite stable revenue. 2. Moderate Operational Efficiency: There is a fundamental risk that LHX is not generating adequate returns on its invested capital, indicated by a low Return on Equity (ROE) of 1.5% and a low asset turnover ratio. 3. Execution Risk at High Valuation: The stock carries a market risk as its strong recent performance has pushed it near a 52-week high, making it potentially susceptible to a pullback if the company fails to meet high investor expectations or if the momentum subsides.
Based on the current fundamentals, LHX's 2026 forecast is contingent on resolving its profitability challenges.
Target Price & Outlook: The base case for late 2026 is a modest increase to the $360-380 range, assuming stable revenue and only gradual margin recovery. A bull case near $400+ would require a successful execution of cost-saving initiatives that significantly reverse the recent margin compression. Key Growth Drivers are: 1) Restoring operating margins back towards historical levels, 2) Efficient integration of recent acquisitions to drive top-line synergy, and 3) Capitalizing on sustained global defense spending trends. Main Assumptions include no major downturn in defense budgets, successful management of cost inflation, and no further degradation in working capital efficiency.
This forecast is highly uncertain, as the stock's premium valuation leaves it vulnerable to downward revisions if profitability improvements are delayed or defense sector sentiment shifts.