HWM vs. SUNB: Howmet Aerospace vs. Sunbelt Rentals Stock Comparison

Company Profile

Howmet Aerospace (HWM) and Sunbelt Rentals (SUNB) both fall under the Capital Goods industry group, but HWM is classified in Aerospace & Defense while SUNB is classified in Trading Companies & Distributors.

Howmet Aerospace (HWM) has been public since November 1, 2016 with a meaningfully longer listed history, while Sunbelt Rentals (SUNB) only listed on March 2, 2026 — long-window metrics on the SUNB side should be interpreted with caution.

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

Trailing Returns

Calendar-Year Returns

Performance Metrics

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

Return Distribution

Risk Metrics

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

Both HWM and SUNB need 1-year volatility and 1-year return to plot risk-return positioning.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Profitability

Howmet Aerospace (HWM) at 37.65% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Sunbelt Rentals (SUNB) at 18.37% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for HWM.

For every dollar of sales, both Howmet Aerospace (HWM) at 21.10% and Sunbelt Rentals (SUNB) at 12.12% retain more as net profit than most peers, landing in the top net margin quartile of their industries.

Both Howmet Aerospace (HWM) at 28.78% and Sunbelt Rentals (SUNB) at 22.38% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.

Profitability Metrics

Growth

Both Howmet Aerospace (HWM) at 11.06% and Sunbelt Rentals (SUNB) at 3.36% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

Howmet Aerospace (HWM) at 32.03% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Sunbelt Rentals (SUNB) at -8.91% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for HWM.

Growth Metrics

Financial Strength

Howmet Aerospace (HWM) at 1.86 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Sunbelt Rentals (SUNB) at 0.95 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for SUNB.

Howmet Aerospace (HWM) at 0.80 carries an industry-typical debt-to-equity mix, while Sunbelt Rentals (SUNB) at 1.53 uses more debt funding than most peers.

Financial Strength Metrics

Dividends

Sunbelt Rentals (SUNB) at 1.87% delivers top-quartile income for its industry, while Howmet Aerospace (HWM) at 0.25% pays a more typical yield — both are credible income propositions, SUNB the richer one.

Both Howmet Aerospace (HWM) at 9.80% and Sunbelt Rentals (SUNB) at 22.63% keep payout ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges — dividend policies that share earnings without consuming too much of them.

Dividend Metrics

Valuation

Sunbelt Rentals (SUNB) at 23.28 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Howmet Aerospace (HWM) at 40.35 sits in the richer quartile — HWM needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.

Sunbelt Rentals (SUNB) at 2.75 prices around its industry’s typical P/S ratio, while Howmet Aerospace (HWM) at 8.41 clears its benchmark range — HWM looks notably rich on sales.

Sunbelt Rentals (SUNB) at 4.24 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while Howmet Aerospace (HWM) at 14.20 prices above its benchmark range — HWM looks rich relative to book.

Valuation Metrics