Aerospace Stocks to Own in October 2026: 7 Names Built to Endure
A countdown of aerospace exposure spanning airframers, engines, composites, precision components, defense systems and aviation services, including Boeing, Textron, Curtiss-Wright and Hexcel.
Aerospace remains a durable market theme because airlines are keeping older fleets in service while aircraft manufacturers work through supply-chain constraints. That combination supports demand for maintenance, repair and overhaul, spare parts, engine services and other aftermarket work. It also gives investors exposure beyond passenger traffic: defense replenishment, missile systems, satellites and sustainment programs add another layer of demand. A July industry update from RTX reinforced the case for durability, with the company raising its 2026 sales and profit forecasts and reporting a backlog of $289 billion.
The strongest aerospace businesses tend to sit close to an installed base that needs continuing service. Engine makers and engine-adjacent suppliers can monetize parts and overhaul activity for years, while MRO providers and distributors benefit when operators delay new-aircraft purchases. Precision components, castings, composites and avionics offer another route into constrained production programs. Defense aerospace names add exposure to rising replenishment spending, sustainment and missile restocking, although each sub-segment carries different levels of cyclicality and execution risk.
This countdown moves from #7 to #1, balancing each company’s depth of aerospace exposure with its business fundamentals. The list includes a commercial-aircraft OEM, diversified industrial manufacturers, advanced-materials specialists, precision-component suppliers and two major engine-and-defense franchises. The result is not a single business model repeated seven times: it is a cross-section of the aerospace value chain, from original equipment and airframes to engines, flight systems, components and aftermarket services.
The screen covers US-listed companies with market capitalizations above $500 million and uses aerospace exposure as the primary ranking filter. Business fundamentals then provide the secondary test, including profitability, revenue and earnings growth, valuation, composite quality grades, analyst consensus and recent earnings performance. The stocks are presented in countdown order, so the best pick is reserved for #1 at the end. Monthly refreshes can change the ranking as valuations, earnings results and consensus expectations move.
What they do. The company designs, manufactures, sells, services and supports commercial jetliners, military aircraft, satellites, missile-defense systems, human-spaceflight and launch systems. Its three segments—Commercial Airplanes, Defense, Space & Security, and Global Services—give Boeing revenue from aircraft programs as well as maintenance, modifications, upgrades, spare parts, training and digital services.
Why it fits. Boeing has one of the deepest direct links to the aerospace theme because it participates in commercial aircraft production, defense platforms and the services required to support those fleets. Global Services specifically connects the company to the aftermarket narrative through maintenance, engineering, supply-chain management, spare parts, training and fleet-support offerings. Its broad exposure is offset by the fact that the business is still working through uneven profitability.
Numbers that matter. Revenue grew 8% year over year, but earnings growth was negative 68%. Gross margin was 4.7%, net margin was 2.59% and return on assets was negative 1.98%, while EBITDA was negative $2.9 billion. The trailing P/E was 69.4 and the forward P/E was 49.5, making the valuation demanding relative to the current earnings base; next-year EPS is estimated at 4.1129.
Recent momentum. Boeing’s latest reported quarter, on July 28, produced EPS of negative $0.76 versus an estimated negative $0.34, a 123.5% shortfall, although the company has beaten estimates in 4 of the last 7 reported quarters. The analyst snapshot shows 6 buys and 4 holds, with no sell count reported and an average target of $273.42. Boeing’s next listed earnings date is October 27.
What they do. Textron operates across aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses through Textron Aviation, Bell, Textron Systems, Industrial, Textron eAviation and Finance. Its aviation operations manufacture and service business jets, turboprops, piston aircraft, helicopters, tiltrotors and military trainers, while the company also sells parts, repair services, unmanned systems, weapons components and aviation financing.
Why it fits. Textron provides broad aerospace exposure through both civil and military platforms. Bell contributes helicopters, tiltrotors, spare parts and services; Textron Aviation adds aircraft maintenance, inspection and repair; and Textron Systems supplies unmanned aircraft, electronic systems, engines and weapons-related products. The diversified industrial portfolio reduces the purity of the aerospace exposure, which is why the stock ranks below the more focused names.
Numbers that matter. Revenue grew 3% year over year and earnings grew 5.2%, with next-year EPS estimated at 7.2671 versus trailing EPS of 5.38. Gross margin was 17.6%, operating margin 8.7% and net margin 6.13%; return on equity was 12.13% and return on assets was 4.55%. The trailing P/E was 14.3 and the forward P/E was 10.4, a notably more moderate valuation than several aerospace pure plays.
Recent momentum. Textron has beaten estimates in all 7 of its last 7 reported quarters. On July 28, it posted EPS of $1.62 against an estimate of $1.52, a 6.6% beat. Analysts list 1 buy and 9 holds, with no sell count reported; the average target is $101.47, while the next listed earnings date is October 29.
What they do. Curtiss-Wright supplies engineered products, solutions and services across aerospace and defense, commercial nuclear power, process and industrial markets. Its Aerospace & Industrial segment makes sensors, controls, electro-mechanical actuation components and surface-treatment products, while Defense Electronics supplies embedded computing, flight-test instrumentation, avionics, communications and weapons-handling systems.
Why it fits. The company offers targeted exposure to the precision-component and defense-electronics parts of aerospace. Sensors, controls, actuation systems, flight-test equipment and avionics can become embedded in aircraft platforms, while its defense and naval businesses add exposure to sustainment, ship repair and military systems. This is a component-and-solutions model rather than an airframe manufacturer, giving Curtiss-Wright a more specialized route into the theme.
Numbers that matter. Revenue grew 5.4% year over year and earnings grew 27.6%, with trailing EPS of 14.55 and next-year EPS estimated at 17.1388. Gross margin was 37.7%, operating margin 19.4% and net margin 14.81%; return on equity was 19.75% and return on assets was 8.49%. Those margins are strong, but the trailing P/E of 37.5 and forward P/E of 28.4 indicate that investors already assign a premium to the earnings profile.
Recent momentum. Curtiss-Wright has beaten estimates in all 7 of its last 7 reported quarters. Its August 5 report showed EPS of $3.72 versus an estimate of $3.62, a 2.8% beat. The analyst breakdown contains 1 buy and 3 holds, with no sell count reported, and an average target of $786.25; the next listed earnings date is November 4.
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What they do. Hexcel develops and manufactures lightweight composite materials and finished aircraft components. Its Composite Materials segment sells carbon fiber, reinforcements, prepregs, honeycomb, resins, adhesives and laminates, while Engineered Products supplies aircraft structures, rotorcraft blades, panels, fairings, nacelle components and radio-frequency interference-control products.
Why it fits. Hexcel is a direct way to access the aerospace materials and structural-components supply chain. Its composites are used in commercial aerospace, defense and space applications, and its engineered products are incorporated into wings, flight decks, rotorcraft blades, nacelles and other aircraft structures. That positioning gives the company leverage to aircraft production and fleet modernization, but it also exposes results to OEM schedules and program timing.
Numbers that matter. Revenue grew 8% year over year, while earnings growth was 280.2%; next-year EPS is estimated at 3.1374 versus trailing EPS of 1.98. Gross margin was 25.0%, operating margin 13.9% and net margin 7.76%, with return on equity of 10.76% and return on assets of 5.98%. The trailing P/E was 43.8 compared with a forward P/E of 20.3, reflecting expectations for substantial earnings improvement.
Recent momentum. Hexcel’s July 29 quarter produced EPS of $0.66 against an estimate of $0.56, a 17.9% beat, and the company has beaten estimates in 4 of the last 7 reported quarters. Analysts list 1 buy and 12 holds, with no sell count reported, producing a consensus average target of $108.50. The next listed earnings date is October 28.
What they do. Howmet supplies advanced engineered products for aerospace and transportation through Engine Products, Fastening Systems, Engineered Structures and Forged Wheels. It makes engine airfoils and seamless rolled rings, aerospace fasteners, titanium and aluminum forgings, machined components, assemblies and other structural parts, earning revenue from specialized products that are integrated into aircraft engines and airframes.
Why it fits. Howmet is closely aligned with the theme’s precision-components and engine-adjacent opportunity. Airfoils, rolled rings, fasteners, titanium products and engineered structures sit in critical aircraft and engine applications, while the company’s specialization can benefit from constrained aerospace production and the large installed base requiring replacement components. Forged Wheels adds transportation diversification, but aerospace remains central to the company’s identity and product portfolio.
Numbers that matter. Revenue grew 24.1% year over year and earnings grew 33%, with next-year EPS estimated at 6.4613 versus trailing EPS of 4.68. Gross margin was 36.0%, operating margin 28.5% and net margin 20.52%; return on equity was 34.73% and return on assets was 12.82%. The trailing P/E was 48.8 and the forward P/E was 36.0, so the strong operating profile comes with a substantial valuation premium.
Recent momentum. Howmet has beaten estimates in all 7 of its last 7 reported quarters. On August 6, EPS came in at $1.33 versus an estimate of $1.23, an 8.1% beat. Analysts are split between 5 buys and 5 holds, with no sell count reported, and the average target is $331.50; the next listed earnings date is October 29.
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This monthly screen starts with US-listed aerospace and defense companies valued above $500 million in market capitalization. Companies are ranked first by the depth and directness of their aerospace exposure, giving priority to engines, aftermarket services, precision components, composites, airframes and defense systems. Business fundamentals determine the order within that framework, including composite quality grades, profitability, revenue and earnings growth, valuation ratios, analyst consensus and recent earnings surprises. The data line uses evergreen market capitalization, quality and consensus information rather than a short-lived stock quote. The ranking is refreshed monthly as company results, estimates and valuation conditions change.
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