Dj Textron Inc. Stock Underperforms Thursday When Compared To Competitors

Bell-Boeing— a joint venture (JV) between The Boeing Company BA and Bell Helicopter, an unit of Textron Inc. TXT — recently secured a contract involving the CMV-22 Osprey aircraft. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, MD, has awarded the deal.

Details of the Deal

Valued at $18.7 million, the contract is expected to be completed by November 2029. Per the terms of the deal, Bell-Boeing will be engaged in offering research, development, test, evaluation, program management and engineering support for integrated aircraft survivability equipment of the CMV-22 Osprey jets. The majority of the work related to this contract will be executed in Ridley Park, PA.

What’s Favoring BA & TXT?

With rising global defense spending rising amid growing hostilities, investment in advanced defense products, including military aviation jets, has also been increasing. These jets serve a nation in military operations and other crucial missions such as troop transportation as well as shipping cargo and other essential supplies.

With Boeing and Textron being prominent manufacturers of renowned, combat-proven aircraft across the globe, jets from their product portfolios enjoy solid demand when it comes to crucial air warfare missions. The latest contract win is an example of that.

Bell-Boeing’s primary product, V-22 Osprey, is a family of multi-mission, tiltrotor military aircraft with both vertical as well as short takeoff and landing capabilities. It is designed to combine the functionality of a conventional helicopter with the long-range, high-speed cruise performance of a turboprop aircraft. Notably, the CMV-22 is a variant of the V-22 family of jets that serves the U.S. Navy and can carry 6,000 pounds of cargo and operate from ship or shore.

These features of the V-22 family of jets and the growing demand for military aircraft are likely to have been ushering in notable contracts for BA and TXT, like the latest one.

Growth Opportunities for BA and TXT

Rising military conflicts, terrorism and border disputes, along with rapid technological advancements in military jets, have led nations to increase their defense spending on combat-proven jets, which constitute an integral part of their defense structure.

This is likely to have prompted Mordor Intelligence to forecast a compound annual growth rate of 5.23% for the global military aviation market during the 2024-2030 time period.

Such solid market prospects offer growth opportunities for Boeing and Textron. Notably, Boeing’s portfolio includes well-established combat jets like the EA-18G Growler, MH-139A Grey Wolf and C-17 Globemaster III. On the other hand, Textron’s Bell unit’s portfolio includes jets like Future Vertical Lift Bell V-280 and Bell 360.

Opportunities for Peers

Other defense companies that are expected to enjoy the perks of the expanding global military aviation market have been discussed below.

Lockheed Martin Corporation LMT: It is the manufacturer of some of the most advanced military jets in the world. Its key jet programs include the F-35 Lightning II, F-22 Raptor, F-16 Fighting Falcon and C-130 Hercules.

Lockheed has a long-term earnings growth rate of 4.5%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for LMT’s 2024 sales indicates year-over-year growth of 5.3%.

Northrop Grumman Corporation NOC: It is a leading provider of proven manned and unmanned air systems. It builds some of the world’s most advanced aircraft like the B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber, A-10 Thunderbolt II and B-21 Raider.

Northrop Gruman has a long-term earnings growth rate of 19.1%. The consensus estimate for NOC’s 2024 sales indicates year-over-year growth of 5.3%.

BA & TXT’s Stock Price Movement

Shares of BA and TXT have lost 20.7% and 0.3%, respectively, in the past three months compared with the industry’s 4.3% decline.

BA & TXT’s Zacks Rank

Both BA and TXT currently carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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