AXON vs. WAB: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on August 23, 2025

Here’s a clear look at AXON and WAB, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Profile

Symbol	AXON	WAB
Company Name	Axon Enterprise, Inc.	Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation
Country	United States	United States
GICS Sector	Industrials	Industrials
GICS Industry	Aerospace & Defense	Machinery
Market Capitalization	59.73 billion USD	32.97 billion USD
Exchange	NasdaqGS	NYSE
Listing Date	June 19, 2001	June 16, 1995
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of AXON and WAB by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period. Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

AXON vs. WAB: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Historical Performance at a Glance

Symbol	AXON	WAB
5-Day Price Return	-0.94%	0.98%
13-Week Price Return	3.42%	-6.91%
26-Week Price Return	14.01%	-1.85%
52-Week Price Return	102.92%	19.80%
Month-to-Date Return	0.37%	0.42%
Year-to-Date Return	27.59%	1.72%
10-Day Avg. Volume	0.76M	1.05M
3-Month Avg. Volume	0.63M	1.02M
3-Month Volatility	49.92%	20.33%
Beta	1.46	1.11

Profitability

Return on Equity (TTM)

AXON

13.43%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 43.89%
Q3: 22.42%
Median: 12.50%
Q1: 5.21%
Min: -6.24%

AXON’s Return on Equity of 13.43% is on par with the norm for the Aerospace & Defense industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

WAB

11.11%

Machinery Industry

Max: 34.68%
Q3: 19.06%
Median: 13.13%
Q1: 8.53%
Min: -4.87%

WAB’s Return on Equity of 11.11% is on par with the norm for the Machinery industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

AXON vs. WAB: A comparison of their Return on Equity (TTM) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Machinery industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin (TTM)

AXON

13.64%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 14.54%
Q3: 8.08%
Median: 6.17%
Q1: 2.49%
Min: -1.63%

A Net Profit Margin of 13.64% places AXON in the upper quartile for the Aerospace & Defense industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.

WAB

10.92%

Machinery Industry

Max: 19.74%
Q3: 11.24%
Median: 8.13%
Q1: 5.38%
Min: -1.11%

WAB’s Net Profit Margin of 10.92% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Machinery industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.

AXON vs. WAB: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Machinery industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin (TTM)

AXON

-1.26%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 16.63%
Q3: 10.38%
Median: 8.29%
Q1: 6.21%
Min: 0.95%

AXON has a negative Operating Profit Margin of -1.26%. This signifies the company is unprofitable at the operational level, as its core business expenses exceed its revenue.

WAB

16.22%

Machinery Industry

Max: 26.63%
Q3: 16.15%
Median: 11.27%
Q1: 7.72%
Min: -4.91%

An Operating Profit Margin of 16.22% places WAB in the upper quartile for the Machinery industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.

AXON vs. WAB: A comparison of their Operating Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Machinery industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	AXON	WAB
Return on Equity (TTM)	13.43%	11.11%
Return on Assets (TTM)	6.28%	6.00%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	13.64%	10.92%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	-1.26%	16.22%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	60.47%	33.57%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

AXON

2.95

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 3.09
Q3: 1.98
Median: 1.23
Q1: 1.03
Min: 0.02

AXON’s Current Ratio of 2.95 is in the upper quartile for the Aerospace & Defense industry. This signifies a strong liquidity position, suggesting the company is well-equipped to cover its immediate liabilities compared to its peers.

WAB

1.76

Machinery Industry

Max: 3.83
Q3: 2.32
Median: 1.72
Q1: 1.28
Min: 0.78

WAB’s Current Ratio of 1.76 aligns with the median group of the Machinery industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

AXON vs. WAB: A comparison of their Current Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Machinery industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)

AXON

0.73

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 1.70
Q3: 1.04
Median: 0.68
Q1: 0.41
Min: 0.00

AXON’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.73 is typical for the Aerospace & Defense industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

WAB

0.44

Machinery Industry

Max: 1.49
Q3: 0.75
Median: 0.44
Q1: 0.26
Min: 0.00

WAB’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.44 is typical for the Machinery industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

AXON vs. WAB: A comparison of their Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Machinery industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)

AXON

888.35

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 36.57
Q3: 19.90
Median: 7.04
Q1: 2.40
Min: -7.63

With an Interest Coverage Ratio of 888.35, AXON demonstrates a superior capacity to service its debt, placing it well above the typical range for the Aerospace & Defense industry. This stems from either robust earnings or a conservative debt load.

WAB

7.65

Machinery Industry

Max: 67.55
Q3: 33.79
Median: 13.87
Q1: 7.97
Min: -1.43

In the lower quartile for the Machinery industry, WAB’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 7.65 indicates a tighter cushion for servicing debt, suggesting less financial flexibility than many of its competitors.

AXON vs. WAB: A comparison of their Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Machinery industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	AXON	WAB
Current Ratio (MRQ)	2.95	1.76
Quick Ratio (MRQ)	2.56	1.05
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)	0.73	0.44
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	888.35	7.65

Growth

Revenue Growth

AXON vs. WAB: A side-by-side comparison of their Revenue Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

EPS Growth

AXON vs. WAB: A side-by-side comparison of their EPS Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

Dividend

Dividend Yield (TTM)

AXON

0.00%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 2.03%
Q3: 1.22%
Median: 0.43%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

AXON currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.

WAB

0.47%

Machinery Industry

Max: 5.32%
Q3: 2.84%
Median: 1.87%
Q1: 1.09%
Min: 0.00%

WAB’s Dividend Yield of 0.47% is in the lower quartile for the Machinery industry. This suggests the company’s strategy likely favors retaining earnings for growth over providing a high dividend income.

AXON vs. WAB: A comparison of their Dividend Yield (TTM) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Machinery industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

AXON

0.00%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 83.87%
Q3: 49.90%
Median: 16.48%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

AXON has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.

WAB

13.53%

Machinery Industry

Max: 202.17%
Q3: 98.65%
Median: 55.54%
Q1: 29.03%
Min: 0.00%

WAB’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 13.53% is in the lower quartile for the Machinery industry. This suggests a conservative dividend policy, with a strategic focus on reinvesting profits for future growth.

AXON vs. WAB: A comparison of their Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Machinery industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	AXON	WAB
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.00%	0.47%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	0.00%	13.53%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)

AXON

183.06

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 65.97
Q3: 54.11
Median: 34.53
Q1: 23.66
Min: 0.00

At 183.06, AXON’s P/E Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical maximum for the Aerospace & Defense industry. This suggests the stock may be significantly overvalued compared to its peers and implies high market expectations that could be difficult to meet.

WAB

28.50

Machinery Industry

Max: 53.66
Q3: 31.29
Median: 22.00
Q1: 16.18
Min: 7.00

WAB’s P/E Ratio of 28.50 is within the middle range for the Machinery industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

AXON vs. WAB: A comparison of their Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Machinery industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)

AXON

24.98

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 8.07
Q3: 4.49
Median: 2.42
Q1: 1.39
Min: 0.00

With a P/S Ratio of 24.98, AXON trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Aerospace & Defense industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.

WAB

3.11

Machinery Industry

Max: 5.04
Q3: 2.72
Median: 1.67
Q1: 1.04
Min: 0.24

WAB’s P/S Ratio of 3.11 is in the upper echelon for the Machinery industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.

AXON vs. WAB: A comparison of their Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Machinery industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)

AXON

23.59

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 13.67
Q3: 7.92
Median: 4.65
Q1: 2.68
Min: 0.82

At 23.59, AXON’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Aerospace & Defense industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.

WAB

3.32

Machinery Industry

Max: 7.23
Q3: 3.90
Median: 2.52
Q1: 1.47
Min: 0.49

WAB’s P/B Ratio of 3.32 is within the conventional range for the Machinery industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.

AXON vs. WAB: A comparison of their Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Aerospace & Defense and Machinery industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	AXON	WAB
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)	183.06	28.50
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)	24.98	3.11
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)	23.59	3.32
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM)	164.74	22.63