HEI-A vs. CW

Last updated Jun 3, 2026

HEI-A (HEICO Corporation) and CW (Curtiss-Wright Corporation) are both stocks. Both are in the Industrials sector — HEI-A in Aerospace & Defense, CW in Specialty Industrial Machinery. Over the past 10 years, HEI-A returned 24.48%/yr vs 24.58%/yr for CW. A 0.55 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined.

Performance

HEI-A vs. CW - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in HEICO Corporation (HEI-A) and Curtiss-Wright Corporation (CW). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, HEI-A achieves a -2.99% return, which is significantly lower than CW's 30.86% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with HEI-A having a 24.48% annualized return and CW not far ahead at 24.58%.

HEI-A

• 1D: -0.47%
• 1M: 16.96%
• YTD: -2.99%
• 6M: 1.58%
• 1Y: 3.76%
• 3Y*: 24.02%
• 5Y*: 13.02%
• 10Y*: 24.48%

CW

• 1D: 0.16%
• 1M: 1.12%
• YTD: 30.86%
• 6M: 31.79%
• 1Y: 62.98%
• 3Y*: 63.22%
• 5Y*: 42.58%
• 10Y*: 24.58%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

HEI-A vs. CW - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
HEI-A HEICO Corporation	-2.99%	35.80%	30.81%	19.03%	-6.60%	9.94%	30.98%	42.21%	24.78%	45.72%
CW Curtiss-Wright Corporation	30.86%	55.66%	59.73%	33.98%	21.03%	19.86%	-16.83%	38.70%	-15.79%	24.56%

Correlation

The correlation between HEI-A and CW is 0.64, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.64
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.60
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.60
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.55
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 5, 2016	0.55

The correlation between HEI-A and CW has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.55 to 0.64 - a consistent structural relationship.

Fundamentals

Market Cap HEI-A : $34.52B CW : $26.72B
EPS HEI-A : $5.60 CW : $13.64
PE Ratio HEI-A : 43.71 CW : 52.87
PEG Ratio HEI-A : 1.97 CW : 2.89
PS Ratio HEI-A : 7.03 CW : 7.49
PB Ratio HEI-A : 6.40 CW : 10.15
Total Revenue (TTM) HEI-A : $4.91B CW : $3.61B
Gross Profit (TTM) HEI-A : $943.00M CW : $1.34B
EBITDA (TTM) HEI-A : $1.12B CW : $745.31M

Return for Risk

HEI-A vs. CW — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

HEI-A

HEI-A Risk / Return Rank: 42
HEI-A Sharpe Ratio Rank: 45
HEI-A Sortino Ratio Rank: 39
HEI-A Omega Ratio Rank: 39
HEI-A Calmar Ratio Rank: 43
HEI-A Martin Ratio Rank: 44

CW

CW Risk / Return Rank: 86
CW Sharpe Ratio Rank: 86
CW Sortino Ratio Rank: 82
CW Omega Ratio Rank: 81
CW Calmar Ratio Rank: 91
CW Martin Ratio Rank: 92

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

HEI-A vs. CW - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for HEICO Corporation (HEI-A) and Curtiss-Wright Corporation (CW). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	HEI-A	CW	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.12	1.95	-1.82
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.42	2.48	-2.07
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.05	1.33	-0.27
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.14	4.95	-4.80
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	0.34	14.46	-14.12
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

HEI-A vs. CW - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current HEI-A Sharpe Ratio is 0.12, which is lower than the CW Sharpe Ratio of 1.95. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of HEI-A and CW, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	HEI-A	CW	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.12	1.95	-1.82
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.47	1.54	-1.07
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.80	0.82	-0.01
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.83	0.60	+0.23

Drawdowns

HEI-A vs. CW - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum HEI-A drawdown since its inception was -49.70%, smaller than the maximum CW drawdown of -59.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for HEI-A and CW.

Drawdown Indicators

	HEI-A	CW	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-49.70%	-59.19%	+9.49%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-27.11%	-12.97%	-14.14%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-27.11%	-27.21%	+0.10%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-27.11%	-27.21%	+0.10%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-49.70%	-48.73%	-0.97%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-11.36%	-3.98%	-7.38%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-7.66%	-13.90%	+6.24%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	11.56%	4.44%	+7.12%

Volatility

HEI-A vs. CW - Volatility Comparison

HEICO Corporation (HEI-A) has a higher volatility of 14.81% compared to Curtiss-Wright Corporation (CW) at 9.07%. This indicates that HEI-A's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than CW based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	HEI-A	CW	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	14.81%	9.07%	+5.74%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	24.29%	25.89%	-1.60%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	30.80%	32.51%	-1.71%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	27.58%	27.78%	-0.20%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	30.55%	30.27%	+0.28%

Dividends

HEI-A vs. CW - Dividend Comparison

HEI-A's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.10%, less than CW's 0.13% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
CW Curtiss-Wright Corporation	0.13%	0.17%	0.23%	0.35%	0.45%	0.51%	0.58%	0.47%	0.59%	0.46%	0.53%	0.76%
HEI-A HEICO Corporation	0.10%	0.09%	0.11%	0.14%	0.15%	0.13%	0.14%	0.08%	0.18%	0.10%	0.25%	0.00%

Financials

HEI-A vs. CW - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between HEICO Corporation and Curtiss-Wright Corporation over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

HEI-A - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, HEICO Corporation reported a gross profit of -454.96M and revenue of 1.38B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was -33.1%.

CW - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Curtiss-Wright Corporation reported a gross profit of 331.48M and revenue of 913.69M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 36.3%.

HEI-A - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, HEICO Corporation reported an operating income of 350.44M and revenue of 1.38B, resulting in an operating margin of 25.5%.

CW - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Curtiss-Wright Corporation reported an operating income of 160.42M and revenue of 913.69M, resulting in an operating margin of 17.6%.

HEI-A - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, HEICO Corporation reported a net income of 233.80M and revenue of 1.38B, resulting in a net margin of 17.0%.

CW - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Curtiss-Wright Corporation reported a net income of 128.19M and revenue of 913.69M, resulting in a net margin of 14.0%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both HEI-A and CW in my portfolio?

HEI-A and CW have a correlation of 0.64, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, HEI-A or CW?

HEI-A has higher volatility (14.81%) compared to CW (9.07%). In terms of maximum drawdown, HEI-A dropped -49.70% vs CW's -59.19%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

CW currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.95 vs 0.12), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.