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CW vs. FTV: Curtiss-Wright vs. Fortive Stock Comparison

How do Curtiss-Wright (CW) and Fortive (FTV) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Curtiss-Wright (CW) and Fortive (FTV) both fall under the Capital Goods industry group, but CW is classified in Aerospace & Defense while FTV is classified in Machinery.

Company profile comparison for Curtiss-Wright (CW) and Fortive (FTV)
Profile ItemCWFTV
NameCurtiss-Wright CorporationFortive Corporation
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorIndustrialsIndustrials
GICS Industry GroupCapital GoodsCapital Goods
GICS IndustryAerospace & DefenseMachinery
GICS Sub-IndustryAerospace & DefenseIndustrial Machinery & Supplies & Components
Market Capitalization16.81 billion USD19.46 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateMarch 17, 1980July 5, 2016
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

CW
FTV
GSPC
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Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. Fortive (FTV), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Curtiss-Wright (CW) and Fortive (FTV). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Curtiss-Wright (CW) and Fortive (FTV). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Curtiss-Wright (CW) and Fortive (FTV)
MetricCWFTV
Total Return (1Y)-15.83%31.85%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)33.49%11.44%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)29.54%3.01%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

CW
FTV
GSPC
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Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. Fortive (FTV), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Curtiss-Wright (CW) and Fortive (FTV). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Curtiss-Wright (CW) and Fortive (FTV)
MetricCWFTV
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)38.26%27.76%
Beta (5Y)0.931.01
Max Drawdown (5Y)-45.25%-32.10%
Avg. Volume (3M)427.49K2.44M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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CW and FTV are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Curtiss-Wright (CW) and Fortive (FTV)
MetricCWFTV
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)-0.530.99
Sortino Ratio (1Y)-0.711.51

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Curtiss-Wright (CW) at 21.82% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Fortive (FTV) at 10.55% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for CW.

CW

Capital Goods industry group

21.82%

Max
40.55%
CW
21.82%
Q3
19.29%
Median
12.12%
Q1
4.08%
Min
-17.12%

FTV

Capital Goods industry group

10.55%

Max
40.55%
Q3
19.29%
Median
12.12%
FTV
10.55%
Q1
4.08%
Min
-17.12%
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Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. Fortive (FTV): A comparison of their ROE against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

For every dollar of sales, both Curtiss-Wright (CW) at 14.86% and Fortive (FTV) at 14.83% retain more as net profit than most peers, landing in the top net margin quartile of their industries.

CW

Capital Goods industry group

14.86%

Max
27.47%
CW
14.86%
Q3
12.10%
Median
6.30%
Q1
1.40%
Min
-12.89%

FTV

Capital Goods industry group

14.83%

Max
27.47%
FTV
14.83%
Q3
12.10%
Median
6.30%
Q1
1.40%
Min
-12.89%
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Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. Fortive (FTV): A comparison of their net margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Curtiss-Wright (CW) at 19.87% and Fortive (FTV) at 21.30% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.

CW

Capital Goods industry group

19.87%

Max
36.60%
CW
19.87%
Q3
18.33%
Median
11.12%
Q1
5.14%
Min
-12.63%

FTV

Capital Goods industry group

21.30%

Max
36.60%
FTV
21.30%
Q3
18.33%
Median
11.12%
Q1
5.14%
Min
-12.63%
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Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. Fortive (FTV): A comparison of their operating margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Curtiss-Wright (CW) and Fortive (FTV)
MetricCWFTV
ROE (TTM)21.82%10.55%
ROA (TTM)8.90%4.61%
Net Margin (TTM)14.86%14.83%
Operating Margin (TTM)19.87%21.30%
Gross Margin (TTM)38.07%63.47%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both Curtiss-Wright (CW) at 12.08% and Fortive (FTV) at 1.92% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

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Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. Fortive (FTV): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Both Curtiss-Wright (CW) at 21.99% and Fortive (FTV) at -26.69% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

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Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. Fortive (FTV): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Curtiss-Wright (CW) and Fortive (FTV)
MetricCWFTV
Revenue Growth (YoY)12.08%1.92%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)11.01%-10.62%
EPS Growth (YoY)21.99%-26.69%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)19.09%-6.26%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both Curtiss-Wright (CW) at 1.42 and Fortive (FTV) at 1.23 run current ratio in the tighter-liquidity quartile of industry peers, leaving thinner cushions against current liabilities than typical competitors.

CW

Capital Goods industry group

1.42

Max
5.22
Q3
2.95
Median
2.08
Q1
1.43
CW
1.42
Min
0.36

FTV

Capital Goods industry group

1.23

Max
5.22
Q3
2.95
Median
2.08
Q1
1.43
FTV
1.23
Min
0.36
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Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. Fortive (FTV): A comparison of their current ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Curtiss-Wright (CW) at 0.45 and Fortive (FTV) at 0.60 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

CW

Capital Goods industry group

0.45

Max
2.33
Q3
1.12
Median
0.60
CW
0.45
Q1
0.29
Min
0.00

FTV

Capital Goods industry group

0.60

Max
2.33
Q3
1.12
FTV
0.60
Median
0.60
Q1
0.29
Min
0.00
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Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. Fortive (FTV): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Curtiss-Wright (CW) and Fortive (FTV)
MetricCWFTV
Current Ratio (MRQ)1.421.23
Debt / Equity (MRQ)0.450.60
Net Debt / EBITDA1.002.45

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both Curtiss-Wright (CW) at 0.23% and Fortive (FTV) at 0.38% pay solid, industry-typical yields, sitting squarely within their peers’ usual range.

CW

Capital Goods industry group

0.23%

Max
2.66%
Q3
1.14%
Median
0.24%
CW
0.23%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

FTV

Capital Goods industry group

0.38%

Max
2.66%
Q3
1.14%
FTV
0.38%
Median
0.24%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. Fortive (FTV): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both Curtiss-Wright (CW) at 6.67% and Fortive (FTV) at 11.85% keep payout ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges — dividend policies that share earnings without consuming too much of them.

CW

Capital Goods industry group

6.67%

Max
67.39%
Q3
28.02%
Median
6.86%
CW
6.67%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

FTV

Capital Goods industry group

11.85%

Max
67.39%
Q3
28.02%
FTV
11.85%
Median
6.86%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. Fortive (FTV): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Curtiss-Wright (CW) and Fortive (FTV)
MetricCWFTV
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.23%0.38%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)6.67%11.85%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Curtiss-Wright (CW) at 30.92 and Fortive (FTV) at 30.98 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.

CW

Capital Goods industry group

30.92

Max
59.38
Q3
35.92
CW
30.92
Median
25.41
Q1
19.47
Min
3.03

FTV

Capital Goods industry group

30.98

Max
59.38
Q3
35.92
FTV
30.98
Median
25.41
Q1
19.47
Min
3.03
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Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. Fortive (FTV): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Both Curtiss-Wright (CW) at 4.50 and Fortive (FTV) at 4.43 command a richer price per dollar of sales than most peers, sitting in the upper P/S ratio quartile of their industries.

CW

Capital Goods industry group

4.50

Max
7.54
CW
4.50
Q3
3.76
Median
2.15
Q1
1.03
Min
0.03

FTV

Capital Goods industry group

4.43

Max
7.54
FTV
4.43
Q3
3.76
Median
2.15
Q1
1.03
Min
0.03
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Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. Fortive (FTV): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Fortive (FTV) at 3.28 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while Curtiss-Wright (CW) at 6.64 carries an above-peer premium to book — CW is pricier on assets.

CW

Capital Goods industry group

6.64

Max
9.66
CW
6.64
Q3
5.00
Median
3.12
Q1
1.81
Min
-1.08

FTV

Capital Goods industry group

3.28

Max
9.66
Q3
5.00
FTV
3.28
Median
3.12
Q1
1.81
Min
-1.08
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Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. Fortive (FTV): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Curtiss-Wright (CW) and Fortive (FTV)
MetricCWFTV
P/E Ratio (TTM)30.9230.98
P/S Ratio (TTM)4.504.43
P/B Ratio (MRQ)6.643.28
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)2.86%5.05%