Market Overview - The U.S. stock market is expected to experience volatility due to rising tensions between Israel and Iran, which have led to increased oil prices and concerns about a broader regional conflict [1] - Uncertainty surrounding the Federal Reserve's interest rate decisions amid these geopolitical risks is adding further pressure to the market [1] Investment Strategy - A curated portfolio of low-beta stocks is recommended as a strategy to navigate the uncertain market conditions [2] - Low-beta stocks such as VirTra Inc. (VTSI), Franco-Nevada Corporation (FNV), Elbit Systems Ltd (ESLT), and Philip Morris International Inc. (PM) are highlighted as potential investment opportunities [2] Stock Characteristics - Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility compared to the market, with a beta of 1 indicating movement in line with the market, greater than 1 indicating higher volatility, and less than 1 indicating lower volatility [3][4] - Stocks with a beta between 0 and 0.6 are screened for lower volatility, alongside other criteria such as positive price movement over the last month, average trading volume greater than 50,000, a price of at least $5, and a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) [5][6] Company Insights - **VirTra Inc. (VTSI)**: The company is benefiting from the U.S. Army's Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) project, which enhances training for soldiers and positions VirTra favorably for military contracts [7][9] - **Franco-Nevada Corporation (FNV)**: Recently invested $1.05 billion in a royalty on the Côté Gold Mine, which is expected to close by Q2 2025, indicating strong revenue potential from significant gold resources [9][10] - **Elbit Systems Ltd (ESLT)**: The company has a substantial backlog of $23.1 billion, with 66% of its contracts coming from international markets, reflecting strong global demand for defense solutions [9][11] - **Philip Morris International Inc. (PM)**: Transitioning from traditional cigarettes to smoke-free products like IQOS and ZYN, while focusing on shareholder returns and cost-cutting measures [12]

Company Performance - Elbit Systems (ESLT) shares have increased by 10.7% over the past month, reaching a new 52-week high of $433.18, and have gained 67.2% since the start of the year, outperforming the Zacks Aerospace sector (18.7%) and the Aerospace - Defense Equipment industry (19%) [1] - The company has consistently exceeded earnings expectations, reporting EPS of $2.57 against a consensus estimate of $2.3 in its last earnings report, with a revenue beat of 12.31% [2] Financial Projections - For the current fiscal year, Elbit is projected to achieve earnings of $10.85 per share on revenues of $7.77 billion, reflecting a 23.86% increase in EPS and a 13.84% increase in revenues [3] - In the next fiscal year, earnings are expected to rise to $13.65 per share on $8.54 billion in revenues, indicating a year-over-year change of 25.81% in EPS and 9.91% in revenues [3] Valuation Metrics - Elbit has a Value Score of D, with Growth and Momentum Scores of B, resulting in a VGM Score of B [6] - The stock trades at 39.8X current fiscal year EPS estimates, which is above the peer industry average of 37.6X, and at 34.9X trailing cash flow compared to the peer group's average of 22.6X [6] Zacks Rank - Elbit currently holds a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) due to favorable earnings estimate revisions from analysts, making it a suitable choice for investors looking for strong performance [7] Industry Comparison - Astronics Corporation (ATRO), a peer in the industry, also shows strong performance with a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) and is expected to post earnings of $1.50 per share on revenues of $846.29 million for the current fiscal year [8][9] - The Aerospace - Defense Equipment industry is positioned in the top 16% of all industries, indicating positive market conditions for both ESLT and ATRO [10]

For those looking to find strong Aerospace stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Has Leonardo DRS, Inc. (DRS) been one of those stocks this year? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Aerospace peers, we might be able to answer that question.Leonardo DRS, Inc. is one of 54 companies in the Aerospace group. The Aerospace group currently sits at #1 within the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank considers 16 d ...

Specialist Sales APAC Specialist Sales 10 June 2025 J P M O R G A N KR Defense (Stay Bullish), JPM EU Industrial Conf, JP Auto, Mitsubishi Elec, Key inbounds & feedback Joann Kim +852 2800 8016 joann.kim@jpmorgan.com Hitachi is hosting Investor Day today from 2pm HKT. Its IR material out and initial impression from investors was nothing really stands out, the net debt/ebitda leverage of 1-2x should continue to be favored for a Y1trn buyback but limited to Y300bn and ROIC of 12-15% indicated this time is on ...

Company Overview - Elbit Systems (ESLT) currently holds a Momentum Style Score of B, indicating potential for strong performance in the momentum investing context [3] - The company has a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is associated with a historical track record of outperforming the market [4] Price Performance - Over the past week, ESLT shares increased by 2.59%, while the Zacks Aerospace - Defense Equipment industry rose by 3.42% [6] - In a longer time frame, ESLT's monthly price change is 9.07%, compared to the industry's 10.77% [6] - Over the past quarter, shares of Elbit Systems have increased by 12.4%, and gained 125.52% in the last year, significantly outperforming the S&P 500, which moved 4.46% and 13.71% respectively [7] Trading Volume - ESLT's average 20-day trading volume is 155,793 shares, which serves as a price-to-volume baseline for assessing stock momentum [8] Earnings Outlook - In the past two months, one earnings estimate for ESLT has moved higher, while none have moved lower, resulting in an increase of the consensus estimate from $9.60 to $10.85 [10] - For the next fiscal year, one estimate has also moved upwards with no downward revisions during the same period [10] Conclusion - Considering the positive price trends, strong earnings outlook, and favorable momentum indicators, Elbit Systems is positioned as a 1 (Strong Buy) stock with a Momentum Score of B, making it a compelling investment opportunity [12]

Core Insights - Woodward, Inc. (WWD) is experiencing growth driven by its Aerospace and Core Industrial segments, with strong defense demand and a robust commercial aftermarket contributing to this performance [1][4][9] - The company reported third-quarter fiscal 2025 results that exceeded Zacks Consensus Estimates, with year-over-year growth in both earnings and revenues, prompting an upward revision of its sales and earnings guidance [2][9] - WWD's stock has increased by 31.8% over the past three months, outperforming the Zacks Aerospace Defense Equipment industry, which grew by 21.9% during the same period [3] Aerospace Segment Performance - The Aerospace segment's revenues are expected to improve, supported by strong defense activity and a solid commercial aftermarket, despite facing supply-chain challenges [4][5] - In the second quarter of fiscal 2025, net sales for the Aerospace segment rose by 12.9% year over year, with defense OEM sales increasing by 52% and commercial aftermarket sales growing by 23% [4][5][9] - For fiscal 2025, Aerospace segment revenues are projected to increase by 8-13%, an improvement from the previous estimate of 6-13%, while segment earnings are expected to remain at 20-21% of revenues [6] Industrial Segment Insights - The Industrial segment is benefiting from strong demand for power generation and backup power for data centers, along with increased investment in gas-powered generation [7][11] - The anticipated decline in Industrial segment revenues has been narrowed to 7-9% for fiscal 2025, compared to an earlier projection of 7-11%, with core industrial margins expected to be between 14% and 15% of sales [11] Strategic Developments - Woodward has made significant advancements in its oil and gas segment, particularly with the delivery of its first MicroNet XT Advanced Gas Turbine Control System for the U.S. Navy, marking a milestone in its defense contracts [10] - The company has been selected as the preferred propulsion control supplier for South Korea's KDDX naval program, indicating strong international demand for its products [10] Valuation and Market Position - WWD's stock is currently trading at a forward 12-month price/earnings multiple of 33.86, which is lower than the industry's multiple of 46.87, suggesting a compelling valuation [12]

Group 1 - Astronics Corporation (ATRO) has significantly outperformed the Aerospace sector with a year-to-date return of approximately 108%, compared to the sector average of 20.8% [4] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ATRO's full-year earnings has increased by 16.3% in the past quarter, indicating improved analyst sentiment and a more positive earnings outlook [4] - Astronics Corporation holds a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), suggesting a strong potential for continued performance [3] Group 2 - The Aerospace sector, which includes 54 individual stocks, ranks 1 in the Zacks Sector Rank, indicating strong overall performance [2] - Within the Aerospace - Defense Equipment industry, which consists of 27 stocks, ATRO is outperforming the average gain of 19.8% this year [6] - Bae Systems PLC (BAESY) is another stock in the Aerospace sector that has shown strong performance with a year-to-date return of 83.6% and a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [5][6]

Core Viewpoint - FTAI Aviation Ltd. presents a strong investment opportunity in the Zacks Aerospace Defense Equipment industry due to robust earnings and revenue estimates, efficient solvency, strong liquidity, and consistent shareholder value enhancement through dividends [1] FTAI's Earnings & Revenue Forecast - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for FTAI's 2025 earnings per share (EPS) has risen by 1.6% to $5.14 over the past 30 days [2] - The total revenue estimate for 2025 is projected at $2.11 billion, reflecting a year-over-year growth of 21.8% [2] Overview of FTAI's Solvency - FTAI's times interest earned ratio at the end of Q1 2025 was 7.6, indicating a strong ability to meet future interest obligations [3] FTAI's Liquidity Position - The current ratio for FTAI at the end of Q1 2025 was 3.95, significantly higher than the industry average of 1.74, demonstrating the company's capacity to meet short-term liabilities [4] FTAI's ROIC - FTAI's return on invested capital (ROIC) stands at 6.11%, outperforming the industry average of 4.43%, showcasing the company's effectiveness in generating returns on investments [5] FTAI's Return to Shareholders - FTAI has consistently increased shareholder value through dividends, currently offering a quarterly dividend of 30 cents per share, equating to an annualized dividend of $1.20, with a current dividend yield of 0.93%, surpassing the industry's average of 0.17% [6] FTAI Stock Price Performance - Over the past three months, FTAI shares have increased by 32.2%, outperforming the industry's average return of 22.5% [7][8]

It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Curtiss-Wright (CW) . Shares have added about 18.8% in that time frame, outperforming the S&P 500.Will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Curtiss-Wright due for a pullback? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at its most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important drivers.How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?I ...

Company Overview - Axon Enterprise (AXON) shares have increased by approximately 14.8% over the past month, outperforming the S&P 500 [1] - The most recent earnings report is essential for understanding the key drivers behind this performance [1] Earnings Estimates - Estimates for Axon have trended downward in the past month, with a consensus estimate shift of 66.67% [2] - The overall direction of estimate revisions suggests a challenging outlook for the company [4] VGM Scores - Axon has received a poor Growth Score of F, a Momentum Score of F, and a Value Score of F, placing it in the fifth quintile for investment strategy [3] - The aggregate VGM Score for Axon is F, indicating a lack of attractiveness across multiple investment strategies [3] Industry Comparison - Axon is part of the Aerospace - Defense Equipment industry, where another player, Mercury Systems (MRCY), has gained 13% in the past month [5] - Mercury Systems reported revenues of $211.36 million for the last quarter, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 1.5% [5] - For the current quarter, Mercury Systems is expected to post earnings of $0.22 per share, indicating a decline of 4.4% from the previous year [6]