This stock comparison examines BWXT and FTAI, two industrials leaders navigating aerospace and defense tailwinds alongside energy transition demands. BWX Technologies provides nuclear solutions critical for naval propulsion and commercial reactors, while FTAI Aviation specializes in jet engine leasing and maintenance. Investors seeking exposure to stable government contracts versus high-growth aviation aftermarkets, or those eyeing nuclear and AI data center catalysts, will find value in analyzing their relative performance, backlogs, and market positioning. Both have delivered triple-digit one-year gains amid sector strength, offering insights into momentum, valuation trade-offs, and risk profiles in the current environment.
BWXT, or BWX Technologies, Inc., is a leading manufacturer of nuclear components, reactors, and fuel, primarily serving U.S. government naval programs and commercial nuclear power. Headquartered in Lynchburg, Virginia, it operates in government operations (80% of revenue) and commercial segments, including medical isotopes and steam generators. The company holds a unique position as the sole provider of naval nuclear propulsion components.
In recent market activity, BWXT shares hit a 52-week high near $222 in late March before pulling back to around $197, reflecting about 9% decline over recent weeks amid broader industrials volatility. Year-to-date gains stand at 14%, with 101% over 12 months. Key drivers include a 50% backlog surge to $7.3 billion, fueled by multi-year naval contracts, uranium enrichment awards, and commercial nuclear opportunities like small modular reactors (SMRs). Analyst upgrades, such as BofA's target raise to $250, underscore nuclear demand from defense and AI data center power needs. Sentiment remains positive on execution visibility, though shares trade at a forward P/E of 55 with a low beta of 0.81 indicating relative stability.
FTAI, or FTAI Aviation Ltd., owns, leases, and maintains commercial aircraft engines, focusing on CFM56 and V2500 models powering Boeing 737s and Airbus A320s. Based in New York, it operates aviation leasing (engines and aircraft) and aerospace products segments, managing 290 assets including engines in Russia. Recent pivots include the FTAI Power initiative repurposing engines for AI data center turbines.
Recent weeks saw FTAI volatility, peaking near $258 mid-March before dropping to $229, down from early March highs above $298. YTD return exceeds 25%, with 113% over one year. Influences include index addition to S&P Aerospace & Defense, Morgan Stanley's target hike to $293, and optimism around CFM56 repair deals plus power generation for data centers. Q4 revenue grew 33% despite EPS miss, with EBITDA quadrupling in modules. Trading at P/E 54 and beta 1.57, it reflects growth momentum balanced by cyclical aviation risks.
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BWXT and FTAI contrast in business models: BWXT's government-heavy nuclear focus yields a $7.3 billion backlog (51% convertible soon) versus FTAI's asset-light leasing with 290 aviation assets and emerging power turbines. Growth drivers differ—BWXT leverages naval contracts and SMRs for steady execution; FTAI taps engine aftermarket booms and AI data center demand via FTAI Power.
Recent momentum favors FTAI's 25% YTD over BWXT's 14%, but BWXT shows trend consistency post-pullback. Risk factors include BWXT's contract concentration and FTAI's aviation cyclicality plus execution on new ventures. Sector exposures: BWXT in defense (low beta 0.81), FTAI in aerospace/power (beta 1.57). Market sentiment tilts bullish for both, with similar P/E ~55, but BWXT offers stability, FTAI higher upside potential amid valuations implying trade-offs in volatility for growth.
Tickeron’s AI currently favors BWXT for its superior backlog visibility, lower volatility (beta 0.81), and defense-nuclear catalysts providing consistent trends over FTAI's higher-momentum but riskier profile. While FTAI edges in recent YTD gains and AI power positioning, BWXT's relative stability and government-backed growth suggest higher probability of outperformance in uncertain markets.
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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).
BWXT’s FA Score shows that 3 FA rating(s) are green whileFTAI’s FA Score has 2 green FA rating(s).
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.
BWXT’s TA Score shows that 6 TA indicator(s) are bullish while FTAI’s TA Score has 4 bullish TA indicator(s).
BWXT (@Aerospace & Defense) experienced а +2.71% price change this week, while FTAI (@Finance/Rental/Leasing) price change was +3.07% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Aerospace & Defense industry was +4.81%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +11.73%, and the average quarterly price growth was +29.52%.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Finance/Rental/Leasing industry was +6.15%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +24.17%, and the average quarterly price growth was +24.41%.
BWXT is expected to report earnings on May 04, 2026.
FTAI is expected to report earnings on Apr 29, 2026.
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.
@Finance/Rental/Leasing (+6.15% weekly)A leasing company (e.g. United Rentals, Inc. ) is typically the legal owner of the asset for the duration of the lease, while the lessee has operating control over the asset while also having some share of the economic risks and returns from the change in the valuation of the underlying asset. Per capita disposable income and corporate earnings or cash flow could be some of the critical metrics for this business – the higher the values of these metrics, the potentially greater ability of consumers/businesses to afford apartments/office spaces for rent. Other finance companies include credit/debit card payment processing companies (e.g. Visa Inc. and Mastercard), private label credit cards providers (e.g. Synchrony Financial) and automobile finance companies (e.g. Credit Acceptance Corporation).
| BWXT | FTAI | BWXT / FTAI | |
| Capitalization | 21.6B | 26.6B | 81% |
| EBITDA | 552M | 1.12B | 49% |
| Gain YTD | 36.603 | 31.861 | 115% |
| P/E Ratio | 65.86 | 56.33 | 117% |
| Revenue | 3.2B | 2.51B | 128% |
| Total Cash | N/A | N/A | - |
| Total Debt | 2.02B | 3.45B | 58% |
BWXT | FTAI | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 32 | 18 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 95 Overvalued | 84 Overvalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 7 | 15 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 33 | 10 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 40 | 38 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 13 | 99 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 75 | 65 |
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.
FTAI's Valuation (84) in the Investment Managers industry is in the same range as BWXT (95) in the Aerospace And Defense industry. This means that FTAI’s stock grew similarly to BWXT’s over the last 12 months.
BWXT's Profit vs Risk Rating (7) in the Aerospace And Defense industry is in the same range as FTAI (15) in the Investment Managers industry. This means that BWXT’s stock grew similarly to FTAI’s over the last 12 months.
FTAI's SMR Rating (10) in the Investment Managers industry is in the same range as BWXT (33) in the Aerospace And Defense industry. This means that FTAI’s stock grew similarly to BWXT’s over the last 12 months.
FTAI's Price Growth Rating (38) in the Investment Managers industry is in the same range as BWXT (40) in the Aerospace And Defense industry. This means that FTAI’s stock grew similarly to BWXT’s over the last 12 months.
BWXT's P/E Growth Rating (13) in the Aerospace And Defense industry is significantly better than the same rating for FTAI (99) in the Investment Managers industry. This means that BWXT’s stock grew significantly faster than FTAI’s over the last 12 months.
| BWXT | FTAI | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 52% | 4 days ago 73% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 48% | 3 days ago 59% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 77% | 3 days ago 89% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 73% | 3 days ago 81% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 69% | 3 days ago 86% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 71% | 3 days ago 85% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 5 days ago 69% | 5 days ago 88% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 10 days ago 55% | 10 days ago 61% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 52% | 3 days ago 67% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 67% | N/A |
| 1 Day | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ETFs / NAME | Price $ | Chg $ | Chg % |
| BRIF | 32.36 | 0.43 | +1.34% |
| FIS Bright Portfolios Focused Equity ETF | |||
| GJUN | 40.57 | 0.09 | +0.22% |
| FT Vest U.S. Eq Mod Buffr ETF - Jun | |||
| BAMU | 25.28 | 0.01 | +0.04% |
| Brookstone Ultra-Short Bond ETF | |||
| ISMF | 27.75 | -0.08 | -0.29% |
| iShares Managed Futures Active ETF | |||
| FUTY | 59.59 | -0.26 | -0.43% |
| Fidelity MSCI Utilities ETF | |||
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, BWXT has been closely correlated with CW. These tickers have moved in lockstep 79% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if BWXT jumps, then CW could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To BWXT | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BWXT | 100% | +2.16% | ||
| CW - BWXT | 79% Closely correlated | +2.18% | ||
| MRCY - BWXT | 52% Loosely correlated | -1.01% | ||
| KTOS - BWXT | 50% Loosely correlated | -4.60% | ||
| HWM - BWXT | 49% Loosely correlated | +3.27% | ||
| AIR - BWXT | 49% Loosely correlated | +3.82% | ||
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