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Should You Buy, Hold or Sell ATRO Stock Ahead of Q3 Earnings Release?

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Key Takeaways

  • Astronics projects Q3 revenues of $213.3 million, reflecting 4.7% year-over-year growth.
  • Earnings are estimated at 42 cents per share, up 20% from the prior-year quarter.
  • Strong aerospace demand and cost savings are expected to drive solid Q3 performance.

Astronics Corporation (ATRO - Free Report) is slated to release third-quarter 2025 results on Nov. 4, after market close.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $213.3 million, implying 4.7% growth from the year-ago quarter's reported figure. The consensus mark for earnings is pegged at 42 cents per share, suggesting an improvement of 20% from the prior-year quarter’s reported figure of 35 cents.

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Image Source: Zacks Investment Research


ATRO has an impressive earnings surprise history. Its earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the four trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 78.54%.

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Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Earnings Whisper for ATRO Stock

Our proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for ATRO this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of an earnings beat, which is not the case here. You can uncover the best stocks before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

ATRO has an Earnings ESP of 0.00% and a Zacks Rank of 2 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Stocks Worth a Look

Some stocks in the same sector that have the combination of factors indicating an earnings beat are CurtissWright (CW - Free Report) and Rocket Labs (RKLB - Free Report) . CW and RKLB have an Earnings ESP of +1.59% and +25.00%, respectively. Both CurtissWright and Rocket Labs carry a Zacks Rank of 3 at present.

Key Factors to Consider for ATRO’s Q3 Results

Higher commercial transport sales, backed by increased demand for cabin power and in-flight entertainment as well as connectivity products from the airlines, as a result of rapidly growing global commercial air traffic, are likely to have bolstered ATRO’s Aerospace business segment’s sales. Higher sales from military aircraft markets, driven by increased demand for lighting and safety products, are also likely to have bolstered this unit’s sales in the to-be-reported quarter.

Based on revised cost estimates and the delayed completion of the long-term mass transit contract, Astronics’ Test Systems unit is likely to have experienced a continued year-over-year sales decline in the third quarter.

Strong sales performance from ATRO’s Aerospace businesses, which constitute approximately 90% of its total revenues, is also likely to have boosted the company’s overall top-line performance in the quarter.

Factors like solid sales expectations, strong gross profit margin expansion earned from continued sales volume growth and favorable operating leverage in the Aerospace unit and cost savings anticipated in relation to the restructuring within the Test Systems segment are expected to have bolstered ATRO’s third-quarter earnings.

Price Performance & Valuation

Astronics’ shares have surged a solid 205.4% in the year-to-date period, outperforming the Zacks Aerospace-Defense Equipment industry’s growth of 33.4% as well as the broader Zacks Aerospace sector’s rise of 33.1%. It also came in above the S&P 500’s gain of 17.9% in the same time frame.

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Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Shares of CW and RKLB have surged 69.6% and 140.9%, respectively.

ATRO’s Price-to-Sales (Forward 12 Months)

From a valuation perspective, ATRO’s forward 12-month price-to-sales (P/S) is 1.87X, a discount to its peer group’s average of 4.79X. This suggests that investors will be paying a lower price than the company's expected sales growth compared with its peer group.

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Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

However, its industry peers are currently trading at a premium compared with ATRO. While the forward 12-month price/sales multiple for CW is 6.28, the same for RKLB is 36.37.

Investment Thesis

While growth prospects in the global aerospace and defense industry remain strong, Astronics continues to face certain challenges that investors should keep in mind. Key hurdles include ongoing supply-chain disruptions lingering from the COVID pandemic, shortages and rising costs of raw materials, and higher labor expenses, along with the limited availability of skilled workers.

Even so, the steady expansion of global commercial air travel serves as a key growth driver for ATRO. The company’s upcoming second-quarter results are expected to mirror these positive trends through solid revenue and earnings growth.

Additionally, Astronics maintains a strong foothold in the defense sector, which helps diversify its portfolio and provides resilience during market downturns. However, the company remains heavily leveraged compared with its peers, as reflected in its long-term debt-to-capital ratio being significantly higher than that of its peer group.

Should You Buy ATRO Stock Before Q3 Earnings?

ATRO is well-positioned for a solid third-quarter performance, supported by year-over-year growth projected in its sales and earnings estimates, a favorable Zacks Rank and strong year-to-date share price momentum. These factors indicate continued strength in its fundamentals, making the stock an attractive choice for investors seeking exposure to the aerospace sector.


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