The strong Q1 beat and across-the-board guidance raise signal accelerating momentum in defense and commercial nuclear end markets. With a 1.3x book-to-bill and $4.3B backlog, visibility into H2 2026 is high. Traders should watch for continued execution on submarine and commercial nuclear programs, as well as potential upside to the raised guidance range given the strong start to the year.
Price Chart
Executive Summary
Curtiss-Wright reported strong Q1 2026 results with adjusted diluted EPS of $3.48, beating consensus of $3.30 by 5.3%, and revenue of $914M, exceeding the $864M estimate. The company raised its full-year 2026 guidance across all key metrics, including sales growth to 7-8%, operating margin to 19.0-19.2%, and EPS to $14.90-$15.30, driven by broad-based strength in defense and commercial nuclear markets.
Key Financial Metrics
Key Facts
- Q1 2026 adjusted diluted EPS of $3.48, up 23% YoY, beating consensus of $3.30
- Q1 2026 sales of $914M, up 13% YoY (12% organic), exceeding consensus of $864M
- Adjusted operating margin expanded 100 bps YoY to 17.6%
- New orders of $1.2B, up 16% YoY, with a 1.3x book-to-bill ratio
- Raised FY2026 guidance: sales growth to 7-8% (from 6-8%), EPS to $14.90-$15.30 (from $14.70-$15.15), operating margin to 19.0-19.2% (from 18.9-19.2%)
- Backlog of $4.3B, up 5% from year-end 2025
- Free cash flow guidance raised to $580-$600M
Financial Impact
EPS beat of $0.18 (5.3%) on consensus of $3.30; revenue beat of $50M (5.8%) on consensus of $864M; guidance raised across all key metrics
Risk Factors
- Timing of revenues on defense programs could cause quarterly variability
- Unfavorable foreign currency translation partially offset margin expansion in Q1
- Higher R&D investment and growth capex could pressure near-term margins
- Tariff impacts (China) cited as a headwind, though restructuring savings are expected to offset
Market Snapshot
Investment Themes
Documents Analyzed
This report is based on 7 SEC documents filed with EDGAR.
| Document | Accession Number |
|---|---|
| 8-K Filing (Primary) | 0001628280-26-031693 |
| Exhibit: ex992_cwxq126.htm | 0001628280-26-031693 |
| Document: cw-20260506.htm | 0001628280-26-031693 |
| Document: 0001628280-26-031693-index-headers.html | 0001628280-26-031693 |
| Document: 0001628280-26-031693-index.html | 0001628280-26-031693 |
| Document: 0001628280-26-031693.txt | 0001628280-26-031693 |
| 8-K Data (Synthetic) | 0001628280-26-031693 |
Filters
| Type | Now | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sep 14, 2026 18d ago | 8-K | $551.21 $568.02 | ▲ +3.05% | ▲ +2.94% | $545.64 (−1.01%) |
Aug 31, 2026 4w ago | Insider Cluster | $582.53 $572.71 | ▼ −1.69% | ▼ −1.54% | $545.64 (−6.33%) |
Aug 19, 2026 6w ago | 8-K | $673.34 $619.46 | ▼ −8.00% | ▼ −7.61% | $545.64 (−18.97%) |
Aug 14, 2026 7w ago | Institutional Cluster | $699.31 $634.99 | ▼ −9.20% | ▼ −7.83% | $545.64 (−21.97%) |
Aug 11, 2026 7w ago | 8-K | $705.96 $695.67 | ▼ −1.46% | ▼ −1.05% | $545.64 (−22.71%) |
Aug 6, 2026 8w ago | 8-K | $714.04 $688.83 | ▼ −3.53% | ▼ −4.74% | $545.64 (−23.58%) |
Jun 15, 2026 15w ago | Insider Cluster | $764.61 $765.13 | ▲ +0.07% | ▲ +2.30% | $545.64 (−28.64%) |
May 20, 2026 19w ago | 8-K | $726.88 $747.61 | ▲ +2.85% | ▲ +1.00% | $545.64 (−24.93%) |
May 7, 2026 21w ago | 8-K | $724.43 $751.00 | ▲ +3.67% | ▲ +2.16% | $545.64 (−24.68%) |
Mar 17, 2026 28w ago | Insider Cluster | $679.35 $700.57 | ▼ −3.12% | ▼ −5.78% | $545.64 (+19.68%) |
US Market Status
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