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AVAV or HON or KTOS
Which Stock Would AI Choose? AeroVironment (AVAV) vs. Honeywell International (HON) vs. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (KTOS) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- AVAV leads in tactical unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) with strong recent contract wins like $117M and $97M U.S. Army awards, but shares have declined amid earnings misses and YTD returns around -24%.
- HON offers diversified stability across aerospace and industrials, with YTD gains of 15% and a recent $500M defense capacity deal boosting production.
- KTOS excels in hypersonics and drones, posting 113% 1-year returns despite recent pullbacks, supported by $49M Navy rocket motor contracts.
- All three benefit from rising defense demand for unmanned and precision tech, but HON shows superior market cap ($142B) and PE (32x) versus AVAV's losses and KTOS's high 502x multiple.
- Recent momentum favors HON's steady performance amid sector volatility, while AVAV and KTOS face higher risks from contract timing.
- Backlogs remain robust: AVAV at $1.1B funded, KTOS with key program wins, HON leveraging broad exposure.
Introduction
This comparison examines AVAV, HON, and KTOS—key players in aerospace and defense amid growing demand for unmanned systems, precision munitions, and electronic warfare. These stocks appeal to traders seeking exposure to geopolitical tensions and U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) spending, as well as long-term investors eyeing autonomous tech growth. With recent contract awards and earnings updates highlighting relative performance, this analysis aids in evaluating momentum, valuation sensitivity, and sector positioning in the current market environment.
AVAV Overview and Recent Performance
AeroVironment, Inc. (AVAV) specializes in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), loitering munitions like Switchblade, and space/cyber technologies post-BlueHalo acquisition. In recent market activity, shares traded around $177, down sharply YTD amid Q3 fiscal 2026 revenue of $408M (up 143% YoY) but missing estimates due to timing shifts and a $151M goodwill impairment. Sentiment reflects pressure from the SCAR program reopening to competition, though a $1.1B funded backlog and wins like $117M P550 UAV and $97M sensor contracts signal robust demand. Broader 1-year gains exceed 46%, driven by defense priorities.
HON Overview and Recent Performance
Honeywell International Inc. (HON) is a diversified conglomerate with strong aerospace exposure, providing propulsion, avionics, and electronic warfare systems alongside industrial automation. Shares hover near $223, up 15% YTD and over the past year, reflecting stability versus peers. Recent developments include a $500M supplier framework with the U.S. Department of War (DoW) to expand defense production capacity for navigation and actuators. Q4 revenue hit $9.76B amid steady growth, bolstering sentiment in a sector favoring scale and reliability over niche volatility.
KTOS Overview and Recent Performance
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (KTOS) focuses on affordable unmanned systems, hypersonics, and rocket motors via Government Solutions and Unmanned segments. Trading around $65, shares show YTD softness but 113% 1-year surge from Valkyrie drone and propulsion wins. Recent $49M Navy Oriole rocket contract and $7M counter-UAS order underscore momentum, with Q4 revenue at $345M beating views. Performance reflects high growth potential tempered by volatility, with a $1.57B backlog supporting hypersonic ramp-up.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
AVAV, HON, and KTOS operate in aerospace/defense but diverge in models: AVAV and KTOS emphasize high-growth unmanned/hypersonic niches, while HON blends defense with commercial aviation for resilience. Growth drivers favor AVAV/KTOS via DoD contracts (e.g., AVAV's UAS, KTOS's rockets), contrasting HON's steady automation. Recent momentum shows HON's YTD lead (15%) over AVAV's declines and KTOS's pullback from peaks. Risks include AVAV's acquisition integration and losses, KTOS's execution on ramps, and HON's supply chain exposure. Sector ties amplify geopolitical boosts, but HON's $142B cap dwarfs AVAV ($9B) and KTOS ($12B). Valuations reflect trade-offs: HON's reasonable 32x PE versus KTOS's 502x and AVAV's negative earnings; sentiment tilts to diversified stability amid volatility.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron’s AI currently favors HON for its trend consistency, lower volatility, diversified catalysts like the $500M DoD deal, and superior relative positioning with positive YTD gains and profitability. AVAV and KTOS offer higher upside potential from backlogs and drone/hypersonic trends but carry elevated risks from recent misses and multiples—positioning HON as the probabilistic stand-out in prevailing conditions.
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
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).
AVAV’s FA Score shows that 1 FA rating(s) are green whileHON’s FA Score has 2 green FA rating(s), and KTOS’s FA Score reflects 1 green FA rating(s).
- AVAV’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
- HON’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
- KTOS’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 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.
AVAV’s TA Score shows that 5 TA indicator(s) are bullish while HON’s TA Score has 5 bullish TA indicator(s), and KTOS’s TA Score reflects 4 bullish TA indicator(s).
- AVAV’s TA Score: 5 bullish, 4 bearish.
- HON’s TA Score: 5 bullish, 5 bearish.
- KTOS’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 4 bearish.
Price Growth
AVAV (@Aerospace & Defense) experienced а -3.61% price change this week, while HON (@Industrial Conglomerates) price change was +2.88% , and KTOS (@Aerospace & Defense) price fluctuated +1.52% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Aerospace & Defense industry was +4.33%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -0.07%, and the average quarterly price growth was +25.05%.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Industrial Conglomerates industry was +2.04%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +2.01%, and the average quarterly price growth was +21.33%.
Reported Earning Dates
AVAV is expected to report earnings on Jun 30, 2026.
HON is expected to report earnings on Apr 23, 2026.
KTOS is expected to report earnings on May 06, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Aerospace & Defense (+4.33% 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.
@Industrial Conglomerates (+2.04% weekly)Industrial Conglomerates specialize in numerous types of products, most of which comprise industrial goods, while some also go towards meeting household needs. Honeywell (makes engineering services and aerospace systems), United Technologies Corporation(manufactures aircraft engines, aerospace systems, HVAC, elevators and escalators, fire and security, building systems, and industrial products, among others), 3M (over 60,000 products under several world-renowned brands, including adhesives, abrasives, laminates, passive fire protection, personal protective equipment, window films, paint protection films, dental and orthodontic products, electrical & electronic connecting and insulating materials, medical products, car-care products, electronic circuits, healthcare software and optical films).
| AVAV | HON | KTOS | |
| Capitalization | 8.99B | 150B | 12.8B |
| EBITDA | 83.8M | 10.3B | 103M |
| Gain YTD | -26.537 | 21.601 | -9.986 |
| P/E Ratio | 149.03 | 34.01 | 525.62 |
| Revenue | 1.37B | 40.7B | 1.35B |
| Total Cash | 588M | N/A | 561M |
| Total Debt | 826M | 37B | 146M |
AVAV | HON | KTOS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 11 | 11 | 61 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 84 Overvalued | 64 Fair valued | 94 Overvalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 82 | 47 | 62 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 90 | 26 | 88 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 65 | 46 | 56 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 15 | 21 | 14 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 50 | 75 | n/a |
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.
HON's Valuation (64) in the Industrial Conglomerates industry is in the same range as AVAV (84) in the Aerospace And Defense industry, and is in the same range as KTOS (94) in the Aerospace And Defense industry. This means that HON's stock grew similarly to AVAV’s and similarly to KTOS’s over the last 12 months.
HON's Profit vs Risk Rating (47) in the Industrial Conglomerates industry is in the same range as KTOS (62) in the Aerospace And Defense industry, and is somewhat better than the same rating for AVAV (82) in the Aerospace And Defense industry. This means that HON's stock grew similarly to KTOS’s and somewhat faster than AVAV’s over the last 12 months.
HON's SMR Rating (26) in the Industrial Conglomerates industry is somewhat better than the same rating for KTOS (88) in the Aerospace And Defense industry, and is somewhat better than the same rating for AVAV (90) in the Aerospace And Defense industry. This means that HON's stock grew somewhat faster than KTOS’s and somewhat faster than AVAV’s over the last 12 months.
HON's Price Growth Rating (46) in the Industrial Conglomerates industry is in the same range as KTOS (56) in the Aerospace And Defense industry, and is in the same range as AVAV (65) in the Aerospace And Defense industry. This means that HON's stock grew similarly to KTOS’s and similarly to AVAV’s over the last 12 months.
KTOS's P/E Growth Rating (14) in the Aerospace And Defense industry is in the same range as AVAV (15) in the Aerospace And Defense industry, and is in the same range as HON (21) in the Industrial Conglomerates industry. This means that KTOS's stock grew similarly to AVAV’s and similarly to HON’s over the last 12 months.
| AVAV | HON | KTOS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 90% | 1 day ago 76% | 1 day ago 85% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 74% | 1 day ago 51% | 1 day ago 77% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 59% | 1 day ago 49% | 1 day ago 68% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 70% | 1 day ago 59% | 1 day ago 68% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 68% | 1 day ago 48% | 1 day ago 79% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 65% | 1 day ago 44% | 1 day ago 73% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 5 days ago 79% | 1 day ago 44% | 25 days ago 78% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 12 days ago 72% | 4 days ago 46% | 9 days ago 72% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 74% | 1 day ago 46% | 1 day ago 78% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 59% | 1 day ago 33% | 1 day ago 69% |
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| 1 Day | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ETFs / NAME | Price $ | Chg $ | Chg % |
| GSOL | 6.26 | 0.07 | +1.13% |
| Grayscale Solana Staking ETF | |||
| SMLV | 143.91 | 1.47 | +1.03% |
| State Street® SPDR® USSmCapLowVolIndETF | |||
| MUNX | 24.99 | 0.05 | +0.21% |
| AMG GW&K Muni Income ETF | |||
| SIFI | 42.94 | N/A | N/A |
| Harbor Ares Systematic Mltsct Inc ETF | |||
| QEFA | 96.79 | -0.36 | -0.37% |
| State Street® SPDR® MSCI EAFE StrtFcsETF | |||
HON and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, HON has been loosely correlated with MMM. These tickers have moved in lockstep 62% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if HON jumps, then MMM could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To HON | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HON | 100% | +1.54% | ||
| MMM - HON | 62% Loosely correlated | +0.89% | ||
| BBUC - HON | 52% Loosely correlated | -1.68% | ||
| VMI - HON | 51% Loosely correlated | -0.35% | ||
| BBU - HON | 49% Loosely correlated | N/A | ||
| MATW - HON | 46% Loosely correlated | +1.93% | ||
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