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Stock Comparison · Industry comparison · Aerospace & Defense

HEICO vs Woodward: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

The structural profiles are close, with Woodward carrying a narrow edge on valuation. HEICO still has the edge on stability, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. The market setup is mixed, without a decisive signal in either direction. The market is not adding a decisive signal either way — the structural read carries the weight.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Both peer scores are relative to the Russell 1000 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-08-16

The comparison is mainly decided in valuation, while stability remains the main counterforce.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Aerospace & Defense

This comparison is based on industry proximity, not on functional trajectory similarity. HEI and WWD share the same industry classification.

For a similarity-based comparison, see how HEICO and Woodward each position within their functional peer groups in AssetNext.

Peer-Relative Score
HEI
HEICO Corporation
59
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: Russell 1000
vs
WWD
Woodward, Inc.
63
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: Russell 1000

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

Pricing shapes this comparison more than a broad operating gap.

Dimension spread: HEI vs WWD Profitability 70 70 Stability 71 55 Valuation 31 51 Growth 76 80 HEI WWD
Gap Ranking
#1 Valuation +20
#2 Stability +16
#3 Growth +4
#4 Profitability —
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for HEI and WWD Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer HEIWWD Relative valuation Structural strength

Woodward, Inc. and HEICO Corporation look relatively close on structure, but the price setup still leans toward Woodward, Inc..

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Entry today — historical context

Where HEI and WWD each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY HEI Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 5 pct gap WWD Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 99th 94th
HEI (99th percentile) and WWD (94th percentile) both sit in the upper portion of their own 5-year ranges. The historical entry context is broadly similar for both. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger.

Describes historical entry positioning only. Descriptive — not investment advice.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Valuation
On valuation, Woodward, Inc. is positioned higher in the group, while HEICO Corporation is closer to the middle.
Stability
Both rank well on stability, but HEICO Corporation still sits higher.
Valuation — Dominant Gap
HEI
31
WWD
51
Gap+20in favour of WWD

The multiple-based pricing edge comes from a forward P/E that is 19.4 turns lower.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Stability still tilts materially toward HEICO Corporation, which stops the result from looking dominant across the whole profile.

What this means for the comparison

The lead is visible, but pricing still does more of the work than the broader operating profile.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the HEI vs WWD comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Similar valuation-and-stability comparisons

Explore how HEI and WWD each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Because scores are peer-relative, the same company can have slightly different scores in different index universes. On comparison pages, both companies are shown within their shared peer universe wherever possible — so the scores are directly comparable. The peer basis is stated on each score card.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.