CW vs. FAST: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at CW and FAST, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
| Symbol | CW | FAST |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Curtiss-Wright Corporation | Fastenal Company |
| Country | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| GICS Industry | Aerospace & Defense | Trading Companies & Distributors |
| Market Capitalization | 20.43 billion USD | 55.89 billion USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NasdaqGS |
| Listing Date | March 17, 1980 | August 20, 1987 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of CW and FAST 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.
Historical Performance at a Glance
| Symbol | CW | FAST |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | 6.18% | -0.27% |
| 13-Week Price Return | 11.13% | 11.34% |
| 26-Week Price Return | 64.56% | 22.77% |
| 52-Week Price Return | 66.72% | 33.63% |
| Month-to-Date Return | 13.55% | -2.69% |
| Year-to-Date Return | 53.00% | 32.74% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 0.27M | 6.43M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 0.32M | 6.01M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 27.83% | 21.38% |
| Beta | 1.13 | 0.91 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
CW
17.68%
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 37.11%
- Q3
- 20.14%
- Median
- 11.72%
- Q1
- 6.30%
- Min
- -6.24%
CW’s Return on Equity of 17.68% is on par with the norm for the Aerospace & Defense industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
FAST
32.33%
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 32.99%
- Q3
- 19.66%
- Median
- 13.72%
- Q1
- 9.74%
- Min
- -0.34%
In the upper quartile for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry, FAST’s Return on Equity of 32.33% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
Net Profit Margin (TTM)
CW
13.66%
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 13.66%
- Q3
- 8.61%
- Median
- 6.59%
- Q1
- 4.92%
- Min
- 1.01%
A Net Profit Margin of 13.66% places CW in the upper quartile for the Aerospace & Defense industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
FAST
15.30%
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 16.11%
- Q3
- 9.48%
- Median
- 5.89%
- Q1
- 3.68%
- Min
- -1.09%
A Net Profit Margin of 15.30% places FAST in the upper quartile for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
CW
17.71%
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 22.35%
- Q3
- 12.83%
- Median
- 9.29%
- Q1
- 6.38%
- Min
- -2.15%
An Operating Profit Margin of 17.71% places CW in the upper quartile for the Aerospace & Defense industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
FAST
20.10%
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 26.26%
- Q3
- 14.59%
- Median
- 7.05%
- Q1
- 4.94%
- Min
- -8.06%
An Operating Profit Margin of 20.10% places FAST in the upper quartile for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | CW | FAST |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 17.68% | 32.33% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 9.02% | 24.62% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 13.66% | 15.30% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 17.71% | 20.10% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 37.34% | 45.06% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
CW
1.95
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 3.35
- Q3
- 2.03
- Median
- 1.24
- Q1
- 1.04
- Min
- 0.77
CW’s Current Ratio of 1.95 aligns with the median group of the Aerospace & Defense industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
FAST
4.22
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 3.32
- Q3
- 2.27
- Median
- 1.60
- Q1
- 1.41
- Min
- 0.26
FAST’s Current Ratio of 4.22 is exceptionally high, placing it well outside the typical range for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry. This indicates a very strong liquidity position, though such a high ratio may also suggest that the company is not using its assets efficiently to generate profits.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)
CW
0.35
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 1.72
- Q3
- 0.96
- Median
- 0.63
- Q1
- 0.37
- Min
- 0.03
Falling into the lower quartile for the Aerospace & Defense industry, CW’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.35 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.
FAST
0.06
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 1.93
- Q3
- 1.24
- Median
- 0.79
- Q1
- 0.61
- Min
- 0.01
Falling into the lower quartile for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry, FAST’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.06 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)
CW
12.64
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 36.57
- Q3
- 19.08
- Median
- 7.25
- Q1
- 2.65
- Min
- -7.63
CW’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 12.64 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Aerospace & Defense industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
FAST
794.74
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 15.13
- Q3
- 7.93
- Median
- 5.67
- Q1
- 2.04
- Min
- -1.67
With an Interest Coverage Ratio of 794.74, FAST demonstrates a superior capacity to service its debt, placing it well above the typical range for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry. This stems from either robust earnings or a conservative debt load.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | CW | FAST |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.95 | 4.22 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 1.35 | 2.10 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 0.35 | 0.06 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 12.64 | 794.74 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
CW
0.16%
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 2.72%
- Q3
- 1.45%
- Median
- 0.48%
- Q1
- 0.08%
- Min
- 0.00%
CW’s Dividend Yield of 0.16% is consistent with its peers in the Aerospace & Defense industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
FAST
1.71%
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 5.25%
- Q3
- 2.95%
- Median
- 2.06%
- Q1
- 1.11%
- Min
- 0.00%
FAST’s Dividend Yield of 1.71% is consistent with its peers in the Trading Companies & Distributors industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
CW
9.12%
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 110.40%
- Q3
- 50.43%
- Median
- 17.11%
- Q1
- 0.46%
- Min
- 0.00%
CW’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 9.12% is within the typical range for the Aerospace & Defense industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
FAST
79.54%
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 136.12%
- Q3
- 71.34%
- Median
- 47.49%
- Q1
- 22.56%
- Min
- 0.00%
FAST’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 79.54% is in the upper quartile for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | CW | FAST |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.16% | 1.71% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 9.12% | 79.54% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
CW
45.32
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 67.20
- Q3
- 55.74
- Median
- 33.28
- Q1
- 27.49
- Min
- 15.02
CW’s P/E Ratio of 45.32 is within the middle range for the Aerospace & Defense industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
FAST
46.40
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 42.69
- Q3
- 25.21
- Median
- 16.99
- Q1
- 13.13
- Min
- 5.35
At 46.40, FAST’s P/E Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical maximum for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry. This suggests the stock may be significantly overvalued compared to its peers and implies high market expectations that could be difficult to meet.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)
CW
6.19
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 9.06
- Q3
- 4.87
- Median
- 2.47
- Q1
- 1.61
- Min
- 0.33
CW’s P/S Ratio of 6.19 is in the upper echelon for the Aerospace & Defense 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.
FAST
7.10
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 4.90
- Q3
- 2.71
- Median
- 1.06
- Q1
- 0.70
- Min
- 0.30
With a P/S Ratio of 7.10, FAST trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Trading Companies & Distributors industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)
CW
6.79
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 14.90
- Q3
- 8.93
- Median
- 4.70
- Q1
- 3.03
- Min
- 0.83
CW’s P/B Ratio of 6.79 is within the conventional range for the Aerospace & Defense 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.
FAST
12.66
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 7.55
- Q3
- 4.63
- Median
- 2.09
- Q1
- 1.30
- Min
- 0.31
At 12.66, FAST’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Trading Companies & Distributors 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.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | CW | FAST |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 45.32 | 46.40 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 6.19 | 7.10 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 6.79 | 12.66 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 36.67 | 63.00 |