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CW vs. LHX: Curtiss-Wright vs. L3Harris Stock Comparison

How do Curtiss-Wright (CW) and L3Harris (LHX) 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 L3Harris (LHX) are both classified in the Aerospace & Defense sub-industry within the broader Aerospace & Defense industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.

Company profile comparison for Curtiss-Wright (CW) and L3Harris (LHX)
Profile ItemCWLHX
NameCurtiss-Wright CorporationL3Harris Technologies, Inc.
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorIndustrialsIndustrials
GICS Industry GroupCapital GoodsCapital Goods
GICS IndustryAerospace & DefenseAerospace & Defense
GICS Sub-IndustryAerospace & DefenseAerospace & Defense
Market Capitalization16.81 billion USD48.39 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateMarch 17, 1980December 31, 1981
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

CW
LHX
GSPC
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Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. L3Harris (LHX), 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 L3Harris (LHX). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Curtiss-Wright (CW) and L3Harris (LHX). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Curtiss-Wright (CW) and L3Harris (LHX)
MetricCWLHX
Total Return (1Y)-15.83%-5.21%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)33.49%16.68%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)29.54%5.91%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

CW
LHX
GSPC
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Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. L3Harris (LHX), 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 L3Harris (LHX). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Curtiss-Wright (CW) and L3Harris (LHX)
MetricCWLHX
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)38.26%29.75%
Beta (5Y)0.930.46
Max Drawdown (5Y)-45.25%-38.16%
Avg. Volume (3M)427.49K1.70M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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CW and LHX 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 L3Harris (LHX)
MetricCWLHX
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)-0.53-0.32
Sortino Ratio (1Y)-0.71-0.45

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Curtiss-Wright (CW) at 21.82% sits in the top ROE quartile, while L3Harris (LHX) at 10.03% 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%

LHX

Capital Goods industry group

10.03%

Max
40.55%
Q3
19.29%
Median
12.12%
LHX
10.03%
Q1
4.08%
Min
-17.12%
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Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. L3Harris (LHX): A comparison of their ROE against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Curtiss-Wright (CW) at 14.86% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of L3Harris (LHX) at 8.76%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

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%

LHX

Capital Goods industry group

8.76%

Max
27.47%
Q3
12.10%
LHX
8.76%
Median
6.30%
Q1
1.40%
Min
-12.89%
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Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. L3Harris (LHX): A comparison of their net margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Curtiss-Wright (CW) at 19.87% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of L3Harris (LHX) at 14.34%, which runs around its industry’s norm.

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%

LHX

Capital Goods industry group

14.34%

Max
36.60%
Q3
18.33%
LHX
14.34%
Median
11.12%
Q1
5.14%
Min
-12.63%
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Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. L3Harris (LHX): A comparison of their operating margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Curtiss-Wright (CW) and L3Harris (LHX)
MetricCWLHX
ROE (TTM)21.82%10.03%
ROA (TTM)8.90%4.56%
Net Margin (TTM)14.86%8.76%
Operating Margin (TTM)19.87%14.34%
Gross Margin (TTM)38.07%25.55%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both Curtiss-Wright (CW) at 12.08% and L3Harris (LHX) at 2.53% 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. L3Harris (LHX): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Both Curtiss-Wright (CW) at 21.99% and L3Harris (LHX) at 8.39% 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. L3Harris (LHX): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Curtiss-Wright (CW) and L3Harris (LHX)
MetricCWLHX
Revenue Growth (YoY)12.08%2.53%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)11.01%8.62%
EPS Growth (YoY)21.99%8.39%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)19.09%15.82%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both Curtiss-Wright (CW) at 1.42 and L3Harris (LHX) at 1.20 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

LHX

Capital Goods industry group

1.20

Max
5.22
Q3
2.95
Median
2.08
Q1
1.43
LHX
1.20
Min
0.36
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Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. L3Harris (LHX): A comparison of their current ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Curtiss-Wright (CW) at 0.45 and L3Harris (LHX) at 0.52 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

LHX

Capital Goods industry group

0.52

Max
2.33
Q3
1.12
Median
0.60
LHX
0.52
Q1
0.29
Min
0.00
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Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. L3Harris (LHX): 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 L3Harris (LHX)
MetricCWLHX
Current Ratio (MRQ)1.421.20
Debt / Equity (MRQ)0.450.52
Net Debt / EBITDA1.001.88

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

L3Harris (LHX) at 1.92% delivers top-quartile income for its industry, while Curtiss-Wright (CW) at 0.23% pays a more typical yield — both are credible income propositions, LHX the richer one.

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%

LHX

Capital Goods industry group

1.92%

Max
2.66%
LHX
1.92%
Q3
1.14%
Median
0.24%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. L3Harris (LHX): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Curtiss-Wright (CW) at 6.67% pays out a band-typical share of earnings, while L3Harris (LHX) at 46.09% distributes more than its industry norm — less retained, thinner cover.

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%

LHX

Capital Goods industry group

46.09%

Max
67.39%
LHX
46.09%
Q3
28.02%
Median
6.86%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. L3Harris (LHX): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Curtiss-Wright (CW) and L3Harris (LHX)
MetricCWLHX
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.23%1.92%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)6.67%46.09%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Curtiss-Wright (CW) at 30.92 and L3Harris (LHX) at 24.20 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

LHX

Capital Goods industry group

24.20

Max
59.38
Q3
35.92
Median
25.41
LHX
24.20
Q1
19.47
Min
3.03
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Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. L3Harris (LHX): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

L3Harris (LHX) at 2.07 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Curtiss-Wright (CW) at 4.50 sits in the pricier quartile — CW costs more per dollar of sales.

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

LHX

Capital Goods industry group

2.07

Max
7.54
Q3
3.76
Median
2.15
LHX
2.07
Q1
1.03
Min
0.03
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Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. L3Harris (LHX): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

L3Harris (LHX) at 2.39 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

LHX

Capital Goods industry group

2.39

Max
9.66
Q3
5.00
Median
3.12
LHX
2.39
Q1
1.81
Min
-1.08
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Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. L3Harris (LHX): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Curtiss-Wright (CW) and L3Harris (LHX)
MetricCWLHX
P/E Ratio (TTM)30.9224.20
P/S Ratio (TTM)4.502.07
P/B Ratio (MRQ)6.642.39
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)2.86%7.09%