Earnings results often indicate what direction a company will take in the months ahead. With Q1 behind us, let’s have a look at Howmet (NYSE: HWM) and its peers.
Aerospace companies often possess technical expertise and have made significant capital investments to produce complex products. It is an industry where innovation is important, and lately, emissions and automation are in focus, so companies that boast advances in these areas can take market share. On the other hand, demand for aerospace products can ebb and flow with economic cycles and geopolitical tensions, which can be particularly painful for companies with high fixed costs.
The 15 aerospace stocks we track reported a very strong Q1. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.9% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 5.6% above.
Luckily, aerospace stocks have performed well with share prices up 11.2% on average since the latest earnings results.
Howmet (NYSE: HWM)
Inventing the first forged aluminum truck wheel, Howmet (NYSE: HWM) specializes in lightweight metals engineering and manufacturing multi-material components used in vehicles.
Howmet reported revenues of $2.31 billion, up 19.1% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 3.2%. Overall, it was an exceptional quarter for the company with a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.
Howmet Aerospace Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer John Plant said, "The Howmet team delivered a strong start to 2026, with revenue, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin, and adjusted earnings per share all exceeding the high end of guidance. Revenue growth accelerated to 19% year over year, driven by strong growth across our key end markets, and adjusted EBITDA margin expanded 320 basis points year over year to 32.0%. Free cash flow performance was outstanding at $359 million after spending $94 million in capital expenditures, supporting the future growth rate of the Company. The free cash flow also enabled $300 million in common stock repurchases. "
Interestingly, the stock is up 6.6% since reporting and currently trades at $273.25.
Read why we think that Howmet is one of the best aerospace stocks, our full report is free.
Best Q1: Rocket Lab (NASDAQ: RKLB)
Becoming the first private company in the Southern Hemisphere to reach space, Rocket Lab (NASDAQ: RKLB) offers rockets designed for launching small satellites.
Rocket Lab reported revenues of $200.3 million, up 63.5% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 4.9%. The business had an incredible quarter with EBITDA guidance for next quarter exceeding analysts’ expectations and a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.
Rocket Lab scored the highest guidance raise and fastest revenue growth among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 5.3% since reporting. It currently trades at $82.77.
Is now the time to buy Rocket Lab? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.
Weakest Q1: AerSale (NASDAQ: ASLE)
Providing a one-stop shop that integrates multiple services and product offerings, AerSale (NASDAQ: ASLE) delivers full-service support to mid-life commercial aircraft.
AerSale reported revenues of $70.61 million, up 7.4% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 18.9%. It was a softer quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates and EPS in line with analysts’ estimates.
AerSale delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. As expected, the stock is down 11.9% since the results and currently trades at $6.46.
Read our full analysis of AerSale’s results here.
Curtiss-Wright (NYSE: CW)
Formed from a merger of 12 companies, Curtiss-Wright (NYSE: CW) provides a range of products and services to the aerospace, industrial, electronic, and maritime industries.
Curtiss-Wright reported revenues of $913.7 million, up 13.4% year on year. This number topped analysts’ expectations by 5.1%. It was a very strong quarter as it also logged a solid beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income and EPS estimates.
The stock is up 3.4% since reporting and currently trades at $767.84.
Read our full, actionable report on Curtiss-Wright here, it’s free.
Boeing (NYSE: BA)
One of the companies that forms a duopoly in the commercial aircraft market, Boeing (NYSE: BA) develops, manufactures, and services commercial airplanes, defense products, and space systems.
Boeing reported revenues of $22.22 billion, up 14% year on year. This print surpassed analysts’ expectations by 2.9%. Overall, it was an exceptional quarter as it also recorded a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and adjusted operating income in line with analysts’ estimates.
The stock is flat since reporting and currently trades at $218.19.
Read our full, actionable report on Boeing here, it’s free.
Market Update
Late in 2025 into early 2026, there was hand-wringing around artificial intelligence. For software companies, the fear was that AI would erode pricing power and compress margins as new tools made it easier to replicate what once required expensive enterprise platforms. Crypto investors had their own version of the same anxiety: if AI agents could trade, allocate capital, and manage wallets autonomously, what exactly was the long-term value of today’s crypto infrastructure?
These concerns triggered a noticeable rotation away from these sectors and into safer havens. But markets rarely dwell on one narrative for long. Spring 2026 came, and the focus shifted abruptly from technological disruption to geopolitical risk. The US’ conflict with Iran became the dominant driver of market psychology, and when geopolitics takes center stage, the script changes quickly. Investors stop debating growth rates and start worrying about oil supply, inflation, and global stability.
Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Top 5 Growth Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.
