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GE vs. HWM: GE Aerospace vs. Howmet Aerospace Stock Comparison

How do GE Aerospace (GE) and Howmet Aerospace (HWM) 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

GE Aerospace (GE) and Howmet Aerospace (HWM) both fall under the Capital Goods industry group, but GE is classified in Industrial Conglomerates while HWM is classified in Aerospace & Defense.

Company profile comparison for GE Aerospace (GE) and Howmet Aerospace (HWM)
Profile ItemGEHWM
NameGeneral Electric CompanyHowmet Aerospace Inc.
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorIndustrialsIndustrials
GICS Industry GroupCapital GoodsCapital Goods
GICS IndustryIndustrial ConglomeratesAerospace & Defense
GICS Sub-IndustryIndustrial ConglomeratesAerospace & Defense
Market Capitalization335.38 billion USD81.84 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateJanuary 2, 1962November 1, 2016
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

GE
HWM
GSPC
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GE Aerospace (GE) vs. Howmet Aerospace (HWM), 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 GE Aerospace (GE) and Howmet Aerospace (HWM). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for GE Aerospace (GE) and Howmet Aerospace (HWM). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for GE Aerospace (GE) and Howmet Aerospace (HWM)
MetricGEHWM
Total Return (1Y)9.16%5.06%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)55.50%64.83%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)37.59%46.04%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

GE
HWM
GSPC
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GE Aerospace (GE) vs. Howmet Aerospace (HWM), 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 GE Aerospace (GE) and Howmet Aerospace (HWM). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for GE Aerospace (GE) and Howmet Aerospace (HWM)
MetricGEHWM
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)34.52%37.60%
Beta (5Y)1.391.27
Max Drawdown (5Y)-44.94%-36.47%
Avg. Volume (3M)4.48M3.47M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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GE and HWM 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 GE Aerospace (GE) and Howmet Aerospace (HWM)
MetricGEHWM
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)0.140.02
Sortino Ratio (1Y)0.200.03

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both companies show strong equity returns, but GE Aerospace (GE) at 50.17% is the standout with ROE above its industry range; Howmet Aerospace (HWM) at 37.65% also sits in the top quartile.

GE

Capital Goods industry group

50.17%

GE
50.17%
Max
40.55%
Q3
19.29%
Median
12.12%
Q1
4.08%
Min
-17.12%

HWM

Capital Goods industry group

37.65%

Max
40.55%
HWM
37.65%
Q3
19.29%
Median
12.12%
Q1
4.08%
Min
-17.12%
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GE Aerospace (GE) vs. Howmet Aerospace (HWM): A comparison of their ROE against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

For every dollar of sales, both GE Aerospace (GE) at 17.31% and Howmet Aerospace (HWM) at 21.10% retain more as net profit than most peers, landing in the top net margin quartile of their industries.

GE

Capital Goods industry group

17.31%

Max
27.47%
GE
17.31%
Q3
12.10%
Median
6.30%
Q1
1.40%
Min
-12.89%

HWM

Capital Goods industry group

21.10%

Max
27.47%
HWM
21.10%
Q3
12.10%
Median
6.30%
Q1
1.40%
Min
-12.89%
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GE Aerospace (GE) vs. Howmet Aerospace (HWM): A comparison of their net margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both GE Aerospace (GE) at 18.49% and Howmet Aerospace (HWM) at 28.78% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.

GE

Capital Goods industry group

18.49%

Max
36.60%
GE
18.49%
Q3
18.33%
Median
11.12%
Q1
5.14%
Min
-12.63%

HWM

Capital Goods industry group

28.78%

Max
36.60%
HWM
28.78%
Q3
18.33%
Median
11.12%
Q1
5.14%
Min
-12.63%
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GE Aerospace (GE) vs. Howmet Aerospace (HWM): A comparison of their operating margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for GE Aerospace (GE) and Howmet Aerospace (HWM)
MetricGEHWM
ROE (TTM)50.17%37.65%
ROA (TTM)5.06%13.97%
Net Margin (TTM)17.31%21.10%
Operating Margin (TTM)18.49%28.78%
Gross Margin (TTM)30.07%36.63%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both GE Aerospace (GE) at 18.48% and Howmet Aerospace (HWM) at 11.06% 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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GE Aerospace (GE) vs. Howmet Aerospace (HWM): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Both GE Aerospace (GE) at 35.89% and Howmet Aerospace (HWM) at 32.03% sit in the top peer quartile for EPS growth, so each is compounding per-share earnings faster than typical industry peers.

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GE Aerospace (GE) vs. Howmet Aerospace (HWM): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for GE Aerospace (GE) and Howmet Aerospace (HWM)
MetricGEHWM
Revenue Growth (YoY)18.48%11.06%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)16.32%13.37%
EPS Growth (YoY)35.89%32.03%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)446.03%49.51%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Howmet Aerospace (HWM) at 1.86 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while GE Aerospace (GE) at 0.98 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for GE.

GE

Capital Goods industry group

0.98

Max
5.22
Q3
2.95
Median
2.08
Q1
1.43
GE
0.98
Min
0.36

HWM

Capital Goods industry group

1.86

Max
5.22
Q3
2.95
Median
2.08
HWM
1.86
Q1
1.43
Min
0.36
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GE Aerospace (GE) vs. Howmet Aerospace (HWM): A comparison of their current ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Howmet Aerospace (HWM) at 0.80 carries an industry-typical debt-to-equity mix, while GE Aerospace (GE) at 1.16 uses more debt funding than most peers.

GE

Capital Goods industry group

1.16

Max
2.33
GE
1.16
Q3
1.12
Median
0.60
Q1
0.29
Min
0.00

HWM

Capital Goods industry group

0.80

Max
2.33
Q3
1.12
HWM
0.80
Median
0.60
Q1
0.29
Min
0.00
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GE Aerospace (GE) vs. Howmet Aerospace (HWM): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for GE Aerospace (GE) and Howmet Aerospace (HWM)
MetricGEHWM
Current Ratio (MRQ)0.981.86
Debt / Equity (MRQ)1.160.80
Net Debt / EBITDA0.931.35

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both GE Aerospace (GE) at 0.56% and Howmet Aerospace (HWM) at 0.25% pay solid, industry-typical yields, sitting squarely within their peers’ usual range.

GE

Capital Goods industry group

0.56%

Max
2.66%
Q3
1.14%
GE
0.56%
Median
0.24%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

HWM

Capital Goods industry group

0.25%

Max
2.66%
Q3
1.14%
HWM
0.25%
Median
0.24%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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GE Aerospace (GE) vs. Howmet Aerospace (HWM): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both GE Aerospace (GE) at 20.23% and Howmet Aerospace (HWM) at 9.80% keep payout ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges — dividend policies that share earnings without consuming too much of them.

GE

Capital Goods industry group

20.23%

Max
67.39%
Q3
28.02%
GE
20.23%
Median
6.86%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

HWM

Capital Goods industry group

9.80%

Max
67.39%
Q3
28.02%
HWM
9.80%
Median
6.86%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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GE Aerospace (GE) vs. Howmet Aerospace (HWM): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for GE Aerospace (GE) and Howmet Aerospace (HWM)
MetricGEHWM
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.56%0.25%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)20.23%9.80%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both GE Aerospace (GE) at 36.94 and Howmet Aerospace (HWM) at 40.35 sit in the richer earnings-multiple quartile for P/E ratio, so investors are paying more for TTM earnings than they pay for typical peers.

GE

Capital Goods industry group

36.94

Max
59.38
GE
36.94
Q3
35.92
Median
25.41
Q1
19.47
Min
3.03

HWM

Capital Goods industry group

40.35

Max
59.38
HWM
40.35
Q3
35.92
Median
25.41
Q1
19.47
Min
3.03
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GE Aerospace (GE) vs. Howmet Aerospace (HWM): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Both look expensive on sales: GE Aerospace (GE) at 6.38 sits in the upper P/S ratio quartile, and Howmet Aerospace (HWM) at 8.41 prices even higher, above its industry range.

GE

Capital Goods industry group

6.38

Max
7.54
GE
6.38
Q3
3.76
Median
2.15
Q1
1.03
Min
0.03

HWM

Capital Goods industry group

8.41

HWM
8.41
Max
7.54
Q3
3.76
Median
2.15
Q1
1.03
Min
0.03
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GE Aerospace (GE) vs. Howmet Aerospace (HWM): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Measured against book value, both GE Aerospace (GE) at 19.06 and Howmet Aerospace (HWM) at 14.20 look expensive — each P/B ratio sits above its industry’s benchmark range.

GE

Capital Goods industry group

19.06

GE
19.06
Max
9.66
Q3
5.00
Median
3.12
Q1
1.81
Min
-1.08

HWM

Capital Goods industry group

14.20

HWM
14.20
Max
9.66
Q3
5.00
Median
3.12
Q1
1.81
Min
-1.08
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GE Aerospace (GE) vs. Howmet Aerospace (HWM): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for GE Aerospace (GE) and Howmet Aerospace (HWM)
MetricGEHWM
P/E Ratio (TTM)36.9440.35
P/S Ratio (TTM)6.388.41
P/B Ratio (MRQ)19.0614.20
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)1.89%1.58%