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AIR vs HXL
Which Stock Would AI Choose? AAR Corp. (AIR) vs. Hexcel Corporation (HXL) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- AAR Corp. (AIR) has delivered stronger year-to-date (YTD) performance at 47.32% compared to Hexcel Corporation's (HXL) 21.39%.
- Both stocks operate in the aerospace and defense sector, benefiting from recent industry momentum, with shares skyrocketing alongside peers in recent market activity.
- AIR trades at a lower trailing price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 26.81 versus HXL's 65.34, suggesting relatively attractive valuation.
- Recent catalysts include a $450 million U.S. Air Force contract for AIR and anticipated earnings growth for HXL.
- AIR reported strong Q3 fiscal 2026 results with 25% sales growth, boosting sentiment.
Introduction
AAR Corp. (AIR) and Hexcel Corporation (HXL) are key players in the aerospace and defense industry, providing essential products and materials amid recovering air travel and defense spending. This comparison analyzes their recent performance, valuations, and market positioning to help traders and investors gauge relative strengths in a volatile sector. With both stocks showing momentum in recent weeks, sector-focused portfolios or those seeking aerospace exposure may find insights into momentum trades, value opportunities, or diversification trade-offs valuable.
AIR Overview and Recent Performance
AAR Corp. (AIR) supplies products and services to commercial aviation, government, and defense markets globally. In recent market activity, the stock has exhibited robust momentum, closing at $121.97 with a market capitalization of $4.85 billion. Year-to-date gains stand at 47.32%, outpacing broader indices, driven by a strong Q3 fiscal 2026 earnings report showing 25% sales growth to $845 million and a $450 million U.S. Air Force contract win. Analyst upgrades, such as KeyBanc's price target raise to $132 with an Overweight rating, have supported sentiment amid share volatility and peer group surges. Trailing twelve months (TTM) revenue reached $3.13 billion, with a forward P/E of 21.46 reflecting growth expectations.
HXL Overview and Recent Performance
Hexcel Corporation (HXL) develops and markets lightweight composite materials for commercial aerospace, space, and defense applications. The stock recently closed at $89.52, with a market cap of $6.79 billion. YTD performance is 21.39%, with one-year returns at 73.68%, buoyed by aerospace recovery and Q4 outperformance. Recent weeks have seen shares surge alongside sector peers, ahead of Q1 2026 earnings expected to show growth, and developments like expanded credit capacity. TTM revenue is $1.89 billion, though the trailing P/E of 65.34 indicates premium pricing relative to earnings.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
AIR focuses on aviation parts supply and maintenance services, contrasting HXL's emphasis on engineered composite materials for airframes. Growth drivers overlap in aerospace demand recovery, but AIR benefits from defense contracts while HXL ties closely to OEM production ramps at Airbus and Boeing. Recent momentum favors AIR with superior YTD returns and earnings beats, versus HXL's steadier but lower gains. Valuation trade-offs show AIR's more favorable P/E and price/sales metrics (1.47 vs. 3.78), though HXL commands a premium for materials innovation. Risks include sector cyclicality from supply chain issues and geopolitical tensions, with AIR showing higher beta. Market sentiment leans positive for both amid recent peer rallies.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron’s AI currently favors AIR over HXL, based on stronger trend consistency, recent earnings momentum, defense catalysts, and relatively attractive valuation metrics like forward P/E. While HXL offers stability and upcoming earnings potential, AIR's superior relative positioning suggests higher probability of near-term outperformance in the aerospace sector.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer. Disclaimers and Limitations
To compare these two companies we present long-term analysis, their fundamental ratings and make comparative short-term technical analysis which are presented below. The conclusion is AIR is a Buy and HXL is a StrongBuy.
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
AIR’s FA Score shows that 2 FA rating(s) are green whileHXL’s FA Score has 2 green FA rating(s).
- AIR’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
- HXL’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
AIR’s TA Score shows that 5 TA indicator(s) are bullish while HXL’s TA Score has 4 bullish TA indicator(s).
- AIR’s TA Score: 5 bullish, 5 bearish.
- HXL’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 5 bearish.
Price Growth
AIR (@Aerospace & Defense) experienced а +10.60% price change this week, while HXL (@Aerospace & Defense) price change was +9.59% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Aerospace & Defense industry was -0.74%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +14.35%, and the average quarterly price growth was +34.14%.
Reported Earning Dates
AIR is expected to report earnings on Jul 21, 2026.
HXL is expected to report earnings on Jul 27, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Aerospace & Defense (-0.74% weekly)Aerospace & Defense is one of largest industries in the U.S., mainly comprising the following areas: commercial airliners, military aircraft, missiles, space, and general aviation. Focused heavily on research & development, it is also one of the fastest growing industries. Military aircraft has the largest market share in the industry’s sales, followed by space systems, civil aircraft, and missiles. Aerospace exports, directly and indirectly, support more jobs than the export of any other commodity, according to a study by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin Corporation and General Electric Company are some of the most prominent players in this space.
| AIR | HXL | AIR / HXL | |
| Capitalization | 5.22B | 7.44B | 70% |
| EBITDA | 375M | 309M | 121% |
| Gain YTD | 58.449 | 34.006 | 172% |
| P/E Ratio | 28.83 | 65.32 | 44% |
| Revenue | 3.14B | 1.94B | 162% |
| Total Cash | 78.5M | 54.1M | 145% |
| Total Debt | 980M | 998M | 98% |
AIR | HXL | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 20 | 15 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 33 Fair valued | 58 Fair valued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 9 | 30 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 65 | 77 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 38 | 40 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 100 | 14 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 50 | 50 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
AIR's Valuation (33) in the Aerospace And Defense industry is in the same range as HXL (58). This means that AIR’s stock grew similarly to HXL’s over the last 12 months.
AIR's Profit vs Risk Rating (9) in the Aerospace And Defense industry is in the same range as HXL (30). This means that AIR’s stock grew similarly to HXL’s over the last 12 months.
AIR's SMR Rating (65) in the Aerospace And Defense industry is in the same range as HXL (77). This means that AIR’s stock grew similarly to HXL’s over the last 12 months.
AIR's Price Growth Rating (38) in the Aerospace And Defense industry is in the same range as HXL (40). This means that AIR’s stock grew similarly to HXL’s over the last 12 months.
HXL's P/E Growth Rating (14) in the Aerospace And Defense industry is significantly better than the same rating for AIR (100). This means that HXL’s stock grew significantly faster than AIR’s over the last 12 months.
| AIR | HXL | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 63% | 4 days ago 68% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 51% | 4 days ago 69% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 71% | 4 days ago 84% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 74% | 4 days ago 85% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 73% | 4 days ago 69% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 68% | 4 days ago 66% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 73% | 4 days ago 68% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 15 days ago 58% | 14 days ago 63% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 58% | 4 days ago 61% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 54% | 4 days ago 67% |
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AIR and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, AIR has been loosely correlated with VSEC. These tickers have moved in lockstep 57% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if AIR jumps, then VSEC could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To AIR | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIR | 100% | +1.68% | ||
| VSEC - AIR | 57% Loosely correlated | +1.18% | ||
| WWD - AIR | 56% Loosely correlated | +4.05% | ||
| CW - AIR | 56% Loosely correlated | +0.64% | ||
| SARO - AIR | 55% Loosely correlated | +0.26% | ||
| LOAR - AIR | 54% Loosely correlated | +0.90% | ||
More | ||||
HXL and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, HXL has been loosely correlated with AIR. These tickers have moved in lockstep 53% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if HXL jumps, then AIR could also see price increases.