As the Q4 earnings season comes to a close, it’s time to take stock of this quarter’s best and worst performers in the aerospace industry, including Woodward (NASDAQ: WWD) and its peers.

Aerospace companies often possess technical expertise and have made significant capital investments to produce complex products. It is an industry where innovation is important, and lately, emissions and automation are in focus, so companies that boast advances in these areas can take market share. On the other hand, demand for aerospace products can ebb and flow with economic cycles and geopolitical tensions, which can be particularly painful for companies with high fixed costs.

The 15 aerospace stocks we track reported a strong Q4. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 2.7% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady as they are up 5% on average since the latest earnings results.

Woodward (NASDAQ: WWD)

Initially designing controls for water wheels in the early 1900s, Woodward (NASDAQ: WWD) designs, services, and manufactures energy control products and optimization solutions.

Woodward reported revenues of $996.5 million, up 29% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 11.9%. Overall, it was an incredible quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS and EBITDA estimates.

"We delivered strong first quarter 2026 performance that exceeded our expectations,” said Chip Blankenship, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

Woodward scored the biggest analyst estimates beat of the whole group. The stock is up 15.6% since reporting and currently trades at $378.15.

We think Woodward is a good business, but is it a buy today? Read our full report here, it’s free.

Boeing (NYSE: BA)

One of the companies that forms a duopoly in the commercial aircraft market, Boeing (NYSE: BA) develops, manufactures, and services commercial airplanes, defense products, and space systems.

Boeing reported revenues of $23.95 billion, up 57.1% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 6.9%. The business had an incredible quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS and EBITDA estimates.

Boeing pulled off the fastest revenue growth among its peers. Although it had a fine quarter compared its peers, the market seems unhappy with the results as the stock is down 12% since reporting. It currently trades at $218.60.

Is now the time to buy Boeing? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q4: AerSale (NASDAQ: ASLE)

Providing a one-stop shop that integrates multiple services and product offerings, AerSale (NASDAQ: ASLE) delivers full-service support to mid-life commercial aircraft.

AerSale reported revenues of $90.94 million, down 4% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 8.8%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ revenue and adjusted operating income estimates.

AerSale delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates and slowest revenue growth in the group. As expected, the stock is down 5.8% since the results and currently trades at $6.90.

Read our full analysis of AerSale’s results here.

AAR (NYSE: AIR)

The first third-party MRO approved by the FAA for Safety Management System Requirements, AAR (NYSE: AIR) is a provider of aircraft maintenance services

AAR reported revenues of $845.1 million, up 24.6% year on year. This print beat analysts’ expectations by 4.1%. It was an exceptional quarter as it also recorded a solid beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income and revenue estimates.

The stock is up 9.9% since reporting and currently trades at $118.47.

Read our full, actionable report on AAR here, it’s free.

Curtiss-Wright (NYSE: CW)

Formed from a merger of 12 companies, Curtiss-Wright (NYSE: CW) provides a range of products and services to the aerospace, industrial, electronic, and maritime industries.

Curtiss-Wright reported revenues of $947 million, up 14.9% year on year. This result surpassed analysts’ expectations by 6.4%. Overall, it was a very strong quarter as it also put up an impressive beat of analysts’ revenue estimates and full-year EPS guidance beating analysts’ expectations.

The stock is up 13.6% since reporting and currently trades at $720.38.

Read our full, actionable report on Curtiss-Wright here, it’s free.

Market Update

Late in 2025 into early 2026, there was hand wringing around artificial intelligence. For software companies, the fear was that AI would erode pricing power and compress margins as new tools made it easier to replicate what once required expensive enterprise platforms. Crypto investors had their own version of the same anxiety: if AI agents could trade, allocate capital, and manage wallets autonomously, what exactly was the long-term value of today’s crypto infrastructure?

These concerns triggered a noticeable rotation away from these sectors and into safer havens. But markets rarely dwell on one narrative for long. Spring 2026 came, and the focus shifted abruptly from technological disruption to geopolitical risk. The US’ conflict with Iran became the dominant driver of market psychology, and when geopolitics takes center stage, the script changes quickly. Investors stop debating growth rates and start worrying about oil supply, inflation, and global stability.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Hidden Gem Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.