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Here's Why You Should Add AIR Stock to Your Portfolio Right Now

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Key Takeaways

  • AAR Corp. benefits from rising aircraft usage, boosting demand for its aerospace MRO services.
  • AIR has solid liquidity and a lower debt-to-capital ratio than the industry, supporting stability.
  • AIR is expanding MRO facilities to raise capacity by 15% and add about $60M in annual sales.

AAR Corp.’s (AIR - Free Report) robust presence in the aerospace Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) market, solid liquidity and low debt are strong upsides. Given its growth prospects, AIR makes for a solid investment option in the Aerospace sector.

Let’s focus on the factors that make this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company a strong investment pick at the moment.

Growth Projections & Surprise History of AIR

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2026 earnings per share is pegged at $4.85, which indicates year-over-year growth of 24%.

The consensus estimate for fiscal 2026 sales is pegged at $3.20 billion, which indicates year-over-year growth of 15.2%.

It delivered an average earnings surprise of 11.26% in the last four quarters.

AAR’s Debt Position

Currently, the company’s total debt to capital is 37.90%, better than the industry’s average of 43.79%.

AIR’s times interest earned (TIE) ratio at the end of the second quarter of fiscal 2026 was 2.75. A TIE ratio of more than one indicates that the company will be able to meet its interest payment obligations in the near term without any problems.

AIR’s Liquidity

AIR’s current ratio at the end of the fiscal second quarter was 2.85. A current ratio of greater than one indicates the company’s ability to meet its future short-term liabilities without difficulties.

AIR’s Focus on the MRO Market

The commercial aerospace industry has been seeing a steady rise in aircraft usage, which has increased the need for aircraft maintenance. In the fiscal second quarter, the company’s Repair & Engineering segment recorded a sales improvement of 6.9%, backed by strong demand for its airframe MRO activities.

To strengthen its MRO capabilities, the company is expanding its airframe MRO facilities in Oklahoma City and Miami. Once operational next year, these expanded facilities are expected to increase AAR’s overall MRO capacity by 15% and contribute roughly $60 million to its annual sales.

AIR Stock’s Price Performance

Shares of AIR have gained 25.5% in the past three months compared with the industry’s 10.9% growth.

Zacks Investment Research
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Other Stocks to Consider

Some other top-ranked stocks from the same industry are Woodward (WWD - Free Report) , Astronics (ATRO - Free Report) and TransDigm Group (TDG - Free Report) . Woodward sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present, while TransDigm and Astronics carry a Zacks Rank of 2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Woodward delivered an average earnings surprise of 17.93% in the last four quarters. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for WWD’s fiscal 2026 earnings is pinned at $8.51 per share, which indicates year-over-year growth of 23.5%.

Astronics delivered an average earnings surprise of 31.72% in the last four quarters. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ATRO’s 2026 earnings is pegged at $2.62 per share, which implies year-over-year growth of 30.4%.

TransDigm delivered an average earnings surprise of 2.32% in the last four quarters. The consensus estimate for TDG’s 2026 earnings stands at $39.46 per share, which suggests year-over-year growth of 5.7%.

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