CluenexCurtiss-Wright CW
Curtiss-Wright scores good on business quality (6.9 of 10). Here is why, in plain words, and what our sealed record shows.
Why it matters
- What Curtiss-Wright does
Curtiss-Wright designs mission-critical components for defense, aerospace, and power markets, generating revenue primarily from specialized valves, pumps, and electronics paid for by prime defense contractors and government agencies.
- What it does best
Curtiss-Wright dominates nuclear reactor coolant pump manufacturing for naval defense, backed by an operating margin of 18.9% that outpaces peers like AXON. High qualification barriers and stringent military specifications make switching suppliers nearly impossible for naval shipbuilders.
- The main risk
Supply chain bottlenecks and rising component costs threaten execution on its $3.7B revenue base, potentially squeezing margins if fixed-price defense contracts cannot absorb inflation.
Quality, check by check
Scored against its own industry, from company filings.
Operating margin stands at 18.9% and free cash flow margin hits 80th percentile sector rank, driven by high-value proprietary defense components. This business expands profitability effectively as revenue scales.
High regulatory barriers lock in defense and nuclear enterprise clients who cannot risk untested alternatives. Its operating margin ranks in the top quartile of its sector at the 70th percentile.
Revenue grew 12.1% to $3.7B, driven by strong demand across aerospace and defense markets. This rate accelerates above its multi-year historical expansion pace.
Total debt sits at $958 million against $371 million in cash, supported by an interest coverage of 16.3x where debt servicing is manageable. Free cash flow reached $625 million and is climbing steadily.
Insiders
Executives and directors, from SEC Form 4 filings we read ourselves. Open market trades only; grants, option exercises and pre-planned sales left out.
1 insider bought $149K on the open market. 2 sold $701K outside pre-planned sales.
Our sealed record on CW
Verdicts appear here 30 days after we publish them; members see today's. Each one is in the nightly ledger, fingerprinted the night it was made.
The first sealed verdicts appear here on Oct 11, 2026.
Questions
Curtiss-Wright scores good on the Cluenex quality check (6.9 of 10), measured against its own industry. Profitability is fair, moat fair, growth steady and financial health strong.
In the last 90 days of SEC Form 4 filings: 1 insider bought $149K on the open market. 2 sold $701K outside pre-planned sales.
Nov 4, 2026.
See CW today
- Today's verdict on CW, and why
- Fair value with cautious, base and optimistic cases
- The exact price that would change the verdict
- Which stocks each signal names, the night it fires
Cite this page: Cluenex, “Curtiss-Wright (CW)”, https://cluenex.com/stocks/cw/, data as of Oct 10, 2026.