Curtiss-Wright Corporation (CW) Up 5.6% — Do I Make This Trade Today?
Curtiss-Wright Corporation (CW) is moving decisively higher this Friday, last changing hands at $477.49 on the NYSE — a $25.36 gain over the prior close of $452.13. The advance gives the stock a firmer footing after a steep pullback from its 52-week high of $808.16, set on July 7, 2026. Even after today's jump, CW trades roughly 40.9% below that peak, which leaves substantial room for recovery as the fundamental story keeps improving.
With the regular session still open, volume stands at 157,517 shares, about 43% of the 90-day average of 364,391. The buying has already produced a gain of more than 5% on a partial day's turnover.
Why Curtiss-Wright Corporation Price is Moving Higher
The rally is a company-specific rebound built on a strong Q3 report released on November 4. Curtiss-Wright posted adjusted EPS of $3.94, ahead of the $3.76 consensus and up 16% from $3.40 a year earlier. Revenue reached $952.6 million against expectations of $935.8 million, a 9.6% year-over-year increase. Profitability improved alongside the top line, with the adjusted operating margin rising 0.3 percentage points to 19.9%. Backlog climbed to $4.6 billion, up 12% since year-end, which gives the company considerable visibility into the quarters ahead.
Management also raised its full-year outlook. The 2026 adjusted EPS forecast now stands at $15.40 to $15.60, up from $15.10 to $15.40. Sales-growth guidance moved to 8% to 10% from 8% to 9%. On the same day, Curtiss-Wright announced U.S. Navy contracts worth more than $225 million for propulsion valves, pumps, and control systems serving submarine and aircraft-carrier programs. That work runs through 2030 and strengthens the company's position in one of the most durable spending categories in the defense budget.
A broader defense-industry bounce is adding support. The S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF (XAR) was up 2.61% in late morning trading. Within the peer group, General Electric Company (GE) gained 2.40% today, while Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT) slipped 1.46%. CW's 5.61% advance more than doubles the sector ETF's gain. That gap points to the earnings beat, the raised guidance, and the Navy awards as the forces setting the stock apart.
What is the Curtiss-Wright Corporation Rating - Should I Buy?
Weiss Ratings assigns CW a B- rating. Current recommendation is Buy. That rating rests on a strong fundamental foundation, which this week's results only reinforced.
Curtiss-Wright is rated Excellent on the Growth Index, the Efficiency Index, and the Solvency Index. Trailing revenue growth of 5.41% understates the current pace: third-quarter sales rose 9.6%, and management now expects up to 10% growth for the full year. The Excellent Efficiency Index rating is supported by a 19.75% ROE and a 14.81% profit margin. Those are standout returns for a manufacturer of highly engineered naval and aerospace hardware, where precision production and qualification costs typically weigh on profitability. The Excellent Solvency Index rating means the balance sheet can support a growing $4.6 billion backlog and multi-year contracts like the new Navy awards without strain.
The picture becomes more nuanced in the market-facing dimensions. CW is rated Fair on the Total Return Index, which reflects the sharp drawdown from the July high of $808.16 that holders have absorbed over the measurement period. The same drawdown, together with today's 5.61% earnings-driven swing, explains why the Volatility Index is rated Fair rather than higher. The Fair Dividend Index rating fits a 0.22% yield: Curtiss-Wright pays a modest dividend and directs most of its capital toward growth. With a forward P/E of 31.12, investors are paying a premium. Raised guidance and accelerating earnings, however, give that multiple a credible path to support.
Within the Industrials sector, Curtiss-Wright is on par with Caterpillar Inc. (CAT, B-) and Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT, B-). It trails General Electric Company (GE, B) and GE Vernova Inc. (GEV, B), and sits behind RTX Corporation (RTX, A-), which holds the strongest rating in the group. Every name in that group carries a Buy recommendation, and CW stands alongside larger defense and industrial names on fundamental strength.
About Curtiss-Wright Corporation
Curtiss-Wright Corporation (CW) is an Industrials company that designs and manufactures highly engineered products and services for the defense, aerospace, commercial power, and general industrial markets. Its roots trace to the pioneering aviation companies of Glenn Curtiss and the Wright brothers. Today the company operates through three businesses: Aerospace & Industrial, Defense Electronics, and Naval & Power.
The Naval & Power business is where Curtiss-Wright's competitive position is hardest to replicate. The company supplies main coolant pumps, propulsion valves, and control systems for U.S. Navy nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers, and its products are embedded in programs that run for decades. It also provides reactor coolant pumps for commercial nuclear plants, including the AP1000 design, which positions it to benefit from renewed global interest in nuclear power. In Defense Electronics, Curtiss-Wright builds rugged embedded computing modules, tactical communications equipment, and flight test instrumentation used across land, sea, air, and space platforms. The Aerospace & Industrial segment covers actuation systems, sensors, surge-protection products, and surface treatment services such as shot peening, serving both commercial aerospace and industrial customers.
The company's advantage comes from sole-source and long-tenured positions on critical defense platforms, stringent qualification requirements that deter new entrants, and deep engineering expertise in niche, mission-critical components. These positions produce recurring revenue tied to multi-year procurement cycles. That structure is reflected in a backlog that has grown steadily as navies and air forces modernize their fleets.
Investor Outlook
Curtiss-Wright Corporation (CW) carries a Weiss Rating of B- (Buy), and a quarter combining a beat, a raise, and fresh Navy contracts makes it a compelling candidate for investors seeking defense exposure with commercial nuclear upside. Key items to watch are the company's progress toward the raised $15.40 to $15.60 EPS target, further growth in the $4.6 billion backlog, and how far the stock can recover toward its $808.16 high as earnings momentum builds. See full rankings of all B- rated Industrials stocks inside the Weiss Stock Screener.
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