Key Points
- Strong aerospace and defense demand, highlighted by GE Aerospace's raised guidance, is boosting smaller specialized firms like Ducommun, StandardAero, and HEICO.
- Ducommun's shares are up 74% year to date on record quarterly revenue and a growing defense business, particularly in missile defense.
- StandardAero and HEICO show contrasting performance, with StandardAero's stock down despite revenue growth while HEICO gains from acquisitions and rising net income.
- Special Report: A trading approach worth seeing before you dismiss it
An optimistic Q2 earnings report from GE Aerospace (NYSE: GE) saw the company boost full-year profit guidance amid resilient demand for repairs and spare parts in spite of challenges related to fuel prices and more. This may bode well for the aerospace service industry more broadly, suggesting that companies providing critical services and products may be able to carve out a niche and potentially outperform larger aircraft makers and related firms.
Aerospace and defense demand continues to surge, prompting some investors to flock to lesser-known names in search of companies with the capacity to scale production. Those willing to take on a bit more risk may find that these firms have greater potential for upside than some of the largest companies in the industry.
Ducommun Pivots Toward Defense, With Revenues Continuing to Rise
With a market capitalization of just $2.6 billion, Ducommun Inc. (NYSE: DCO) is on the smaller side of the aerospace firms on our list. DCO's share price story has been one of fairly steady growth throughout 2026, although a July sell-off has interrupted this momentum somewhat. Still, shares are up 74% year to date (YTD).
Helping drive this growth is the company's pivot toward defense, which now accounts for the majority of its revenue. And when it comes to revenue, Ducommun has thrived: in the latest quarter, the company reported a record $209 million in revenue, up about 8% year over year (YOY) and the fourth consecutive quarter with at least $200 million in sales.
The firm's commercial aerospace business is in the midst of a rebound, with revenue increasing about 18% YOY in the last quarter, and this has helped margins to improve as well. Nonetheless, defense is the biggest business for Ducommun, and missile defense in particular is a standout (with 22% YOY improvement to quarterly revenue).
The recent share price dip may be a buy opportunity as it has helped to temper Ducommun's value metrics, bringing its price-to-sales (P/S) ratio to 3.0. Analysts see modest upside potential and view DCO shares with moderate optimism in the near-term based on four Buy ratings and three Holds.
Why StandardAero’s Pullback Could Be a Buying Opportunity
StandardAero (NYSE: SARO) is, at $9 billion in market cap, quite a bit larger than Ducommun, but still not approaching the scale of the biggest players in aerospace. The company has had a dramatically different share price trajectory this year compared to DCO—SARO stock is down 5% YTD after multiple rises and falls earlier in the year.
Investors looking closely at the company's financials may see this decline as an opportunity. After all, StandardAero reported 13.3% YOY revenue growth in the most recent quarter, the result of durable demand and excellent sales growth for its LEAP engine products. Military contracts and demand are helping to drive these top-line gains and have allowed management to raise full-year guidance to anticipate revenue of as much as $6.45 billion.
Margins have been a weaker area, but much of that is likely due to low-margin pass-through inventory and the timing of engine shipments. On a positive note, the company is on track with its capital deployment plans, having completed about $60 million in share repurchases last quarter.
All this leads analysts to take a fairly bullish view of SARO stock, with eight Buys and six Holds. Wall Street sees a price target of $34, which is more than 28% above where SARO currently trades.
HEICO's Aggressive Acquisition Strategy Is Paying Off
HEICO Corp. (NYSE: HEI) is by far the largest company on this list at $48 billion in market cap, but this company is in the middle when it comes to performance: HEI shares are up 7% YTD after an early-year dip that has reversed course in recent weeks.
One of the strengths of HEICO's size is its ability to engage in a fairly aggressive acquisitions strategy. In June alone, the company announced the completion of two acquisitions: Cook Defence Systems, a maker of tracking systems for armored defense vehicles; and CalRamic Technologies, a manufacturer of high-voltage ceramic capacitors. These two deals showcase HEICO's inorganic growth strategy, allowing the company to buy up smaller niche firms to enhance its offerings.
This approach can work so long as HEICO's financials support, and the company appears poised to be able to do just that. In the last reported quarter, net income surged by 49% YOY, and net sales climbed 25% over the same period. Operating cash flow of $292 million was a 43% YOY improvement. Given its size and scope, HEICO has strong positioning in commercial aviation, defense, and space applications, all of which are experiencing rising orders and backlogs.
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