Curtiss-Wright

Curtiss-Wright Corp receives a 2-star quantitative star rating, reflecting our opinion that this share class is a somewhat unattractive choice, and investors should look elsewhere for more fruitful opportunities. The stock currently trades at a 10% premium over our quantitative fair value estimate of $494.05 per share; however, this estimate should be taken with a pinch of salt due to its high uncertainty rating.

The firm's valuation metrics undermine our fair value estimate. A company's valuation metrics provide insights into the market's expectations for its future growth and profitability. For example, the firm's enterprise value to EBITDA ratio of 23.4 falls in the top 30% compared with peers globally. This suggests that the value of its enterprise value, or the value of its shares and debt, is a high multiple of the generated EBITDA. We believe this is a sign that shares could be expensive.

The firm's lack of profitability is an additional cause for concern. Companies with low profitability are often less resilient in recessions and are likely to generate weaker future cash flows for shareholders. The firm's sales yield of 18.2%, for example, falls in the bottom 20% globally. This company's inability to generate significant sales growth without meaningful capital investment is a challenge, which further promotes our unfavorable price/fair value ratio.

In addition to the aforementioned drivers, our model considers momentum as part of its comprehensive analysis. This share class has outperformed the broader universe over the past year. This outperformance may signify a bull trap, in light of other detractors from our model.

The company earns a quantitative moat rating of wide, suggesting a strong ability to maintain superior profitability thanks to competitive advantages that could persist up to two decades. In addition, the company's moderate financial health score is decent and doesn't seriously concern us with regard to financial distress.