CW vs. WAB: Curtiss-Wright vs. Wabtec Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

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

Company profile comparison for Curtiss-Wright (CW) and Wabtec (WAB)
Profile Item	CW	WAB
Name	Curtiss-Wright Corporation	Wabtec Corporation
Country/Region	United States	United States
GICS Sector	Industrials	Industrials
GICS Industry Group	Capital Goods	Capital Goods
GICS Industry	Aerospace & Defense	Machinery
GICS Sub-Industry	Aerospace & Defense	Construction Machinery & Heavy Transportation Equipment
Market Capitalization	16.81 billion USD	47.59 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	March 17, 1980	June 16, 1995
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

WAB

GSPC

Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. Wabtec (WAB), 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 Wabtec (WAB). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Curtiss-Wright (CW) and Wabtec (WAB)
Metric	CW	WAB
Total Return (1Y)	-15.83%	44.64%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	33.49%	39.37%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	29.54%	25.90%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

WAB

GSPC

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

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Curtiss-Wright (CW) and Wabtec (WAB)
Metric	CW	WAB
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	38.26%	27.53%
Beta (5Y)	0.93	0.91
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-45.25%	-23.55%
Avg. Volume (3M)	427.49K	890.96K

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

CW and WAB 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 Wabtec (WAB)
Metric	CW	WAB
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	-0.53	1.47
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	-0.71	2.34

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Curtiss-Wright (CW) at 21.82% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Wabtec (WAB) at 12.24% 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%

WAB

Capital Goods industry group

12.24%

Max: 40.55%
Q3: 19.29%
WAB: 12.24%
Median: 12.12%
Q1: 4.08%
Min: -17.12%

Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. Wabtec (WAB): 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 Wabtec (WAB) at 11.20%, 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%

WAB

Capital Goods industry group

11.20%

Max: 27.47%
Q3: 12.10%
WAB: 11.20%
Median: 6.30%
Q1: 1.40%
Min: -12.89%

Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. Wabtec (WAB): A comparison of their net margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Curtiss-Wright (CW) at 19.87% and Wabtec (WAB) at 20.22% 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%

WAB

Capital Goods industry group

20.22%

Max: 36.60%
WAB: 20.22%
Q3: 18.33%
Median: 11.12%
Q1: 5.14%
Min: -12.63%

Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. Wabtec (WAB): A comparison of their operating margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Curtiss-Wright (CW) and Wabtec (WAB)
Metric	CW	WAB
ROE (TTM)	21.82%	12.24%
ROA (TTM)	8.90%	6.28%
Net Margin (TTM)	14.86%	11.20%
Operating Margin (TTM)	19.87%	20.22%
Gross Margin (TTM)	38.07%	36.17%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both Curtiss-Wright (CW) at 12.08% and Wabtec (WAB) at 7.51% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

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

EPS Growth

Both Curtiss-Wright (CW) at 21.99% and Wabtec (WAB) at 13.08% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

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

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Curtiss-Wright (CW) and Wabtec (WAB)
Metric	CW	WAB
Revenue Growth (YoY)	12.08%	7.51%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	11.01%	10.12%
EPS Growth (YoY)	21.99%	13.08%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	19.09%	25.44%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both Curtiss-Wright (CW) at 1.42 and Wabtec (WAB) at 1.10 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

WAB

Capital Goods industry group

1.10

Max: 5.22
Q3: 2.95
Median: 2.08
Q1: 1.43
WAB: 1.10
Min: 0.36

Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. Wabtec (WAB): A comparison of their current ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Curtiss-Wright (CW) at 0.45 and Wabtec (WAB) 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

WAB

Capital Goods industry group

0.60

Max: 2.33
Q3: 1.12
WAB: 0.60
Median: 0.60
Q1: 0.29
Min: 0.00

Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. Wabtec (WAB): 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 Wabtec (WAB)
Metric	CW	WAB
Current Ratio (MRQ)	1.42	1.10
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	0.45	0.60
Net Debt / EBITDA	1.00	2.28

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both Curtiss-Wright (CW) at 0.23% and Wabtec (WAB) at 0.42% 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%

WAB

Capital Goods industry group

0.42%

Max: 2.66%
Q3: 1.14%
WAB: 0.42%
Median: 0.24%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. Wabtec (WAB): 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 Wabtec (WAB) at 14.66% 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%

WAB

Capital Goods industry group

14.66%

Max: 67.39%
Q3: 28.02%
WAB: 14.66%
Median: 6.86%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. Wabtec (WAB): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Curtiss-Wright (CW) and Wabtec (WAB)
Metric	CW	WAB
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.23%	0.42%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	6.67%	14.66%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Curtiss-Wright (CW) at 30.92 and Wabtec (WAB) at 35.23 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

WAB

Capital Goods industry group

35.23

Max: 59.38
Q3: 35.92
WAB: 35.23
Median: 25.41
Q1: 19.47
Min: 3.03

Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. Wabtec (WAB): 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 Wabtec (WAB) at 3.90 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

WAB

Capital Goods industry group

3.90

Max: 7.54
WAB: 3.90
Q3: 3.76
Median: 2.15
Q1: 1.03
Min: 0.03

Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. Wabtec (WAB): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Wabtec (WAB) at 4.20 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

WAB

Capital Goods industry group

4.20

Max: 9.66
Q3: 5.00
WAB: 4.20
Median: 3.12
Q1: 1.81
Min: -1.08

Curtiss-Wright (CW) vs. Wabtec (WAB): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Curtiss-Wright (CW) and Wabtec (WAB)
Metric	CW	WAB
P/E Ratio (TTM)	30.92	35.23
P/S Ratio (TTM)	4.50	3.90
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	6.64	4.20
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	2.86%	2.60%