What Curtiss-Wright’s recent performance tells you

Curtiss-Wright (CW) has drawn investor attention after a strong year, with the stock up about 26% year to date and roughly 63% over the past year based on total return figures.

Recent moves have been more muted, with the share price down 3.69% over the last day and 1.54% over the past week. However, the strong 1 year total shareholder return of 62.73% and 3 year total shareholder return above 3x suggest momentum has been building over time.

If Curtiss-Wright’s run has you thinking about where else capital goods spending and infrastructure upgrades could support returns, it may be worth scanning 33 power grid technology and infrastructure stocks

With Curtiss-Wright up strongly over 1 and 3 years, yet trading at roughly a 9% discount to the average analyst price target, the key question now is whether the stock is still undervalued or if the market is already pricing in future growth.

Most Popular Narrative: 1% Overvalued

Curtiss-Wright’s most followed narrative puts fair value at about $711 per share, slightly below the last close of $719.99, which frames the stock as just above that estimate.

Record backlog growth (+12% YTD to $3.8b), strong book-to-bill ratios (1.2x in A&D), and a healthy order pipeline in both defense and nuclear align with management's confidence in posting 9 to 10% sales growth, 16 to 19% EPS growth, and over 100 bps of margin expansion in 2025, signaling undervaluation if current pricing underappreciates this forward visibility and operational leverage.

Want to see what sits behind that backlog story and the higher future profit multiple, including how revenue, margins and discount rate knit together in this valuation.

Result: Fair Value of $711 (OVERVALUED)

However, you still need to weigh the reliance on large defense and nuclear contracts, as well as the risk that faster moving digital or AI solutions could pull budgets away from Curtiss-Wright’s hardware focused products.

Next Steps

Given the mix of strong past returns and questions about future value, it makes sense to review the numbers yourself rather than rely on headlines. To see what has investors optimistic right now, take a closer look at the 2 key rewards

Looking for more investment ideas?

If Curtiss-Wright has sharpened your focus, do not stop here. Widening your search now could reveal opportunities you will wish you had seen earlier.

• Start with quality by checking companies highlighted in the solid balance sheet and fundamentals stocks screener (45 results) that pair financial strength with resilient fundamentals.
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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.