Astronics Trading Near 52-Week High: Should You Bet on the Stock Now?

Astronics Corporation ATRO is currently trading in the vicinity of its 52-week high. Shares of Astronics have gained 146.7%  in the past six months, outperforming the industry, its sector, as well as the Zacks S&P 500 composite. 

ATRO is a leading provider of advanced technologies to the global aerospace, defense and electronics industries. Given the continued expansion of the global aerospace and defense industry, Astronics is poised to benefit, banking on its compelling products and services portfolio.

ATRO vs Industry, Sector, S&P 500 in 6 Months

ATRO stock has moved above its 50- as well as 200-day simple moving average (SMA), signaling a bullish trend. The 50-day and 200-day SMAs are key indicators for traders and analysts to identify support and resistance levels. These are considered particularly important as they are the first markers of an uptrend or downtrend.

ATRO’s peer, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions KTOS, has gained 51.1% in the past six months, while another peer, Rocket Lab USA, Inc RKLB, has gained 68.5% in the same time frame.

ATRO Shares Are Cheap

The stock is undervalued compared with its industry. It is currently trading at a price-to-sales multiple of 2.83, lower than the industry average of 12.48 but higher than the median of 0.81 over five years.  

ATRO is cheap compared to KTOS and RKLB.

The Case for ATRO Stock

Astronics is a niche provider of advanced electrical power, connectivity, lighting, and test systems for the global aerospace and defense industry for over five decades. The company serves both commercial and military aviation markets, positioning it to benefit from demand across multiple end markets.

Astronics is experiencing favorable demand conditions in both defense and commercial aerospace. Rising global defense budgets are driving sustained demand for military aircraft programs, while the continued expansion in air travel is prompting airlines to invest in cabin upgrades, including in-seat power and in-flight connectivity solutions. These trends directly support Astronics’ core product offerings and provide a solid foundation for growth.

The company benefits from long product life cycles, high switching costs, and strong, long-standing relationships with customers. These factors create competitive advantages and contribute to recurring revenue streams. Combined with an improving aerospace industry backdrop, they support a multi-year growth trajectory and margin recovery potential.

Management has been actively executing margin improvement initiatives focused on cost discipline, supply-chain stabilization and prudent capital allocation. As production volumes increase, Astronics is expected to benefit from operating leverage, leading to incremental margin expansion and stronger free cash flow generation. The aerospace segment, which represents the majority of revenues, has shown consistent growth, and a healthy backlog provides enhanced revenue visibility.

Industry tailwinds are expected to remain supportive. The company’s projected 2026 revenue range of $950–$990 million implies continued growth, driven by sustained defense spending and ongoing airline investments in aircraft upgrades. Higher volumes should further support profitability and cash flow improvement.

Aerospace-defense companies continue to face supply-chain challenges, including shortages of raw materials, rising input costs and limited availability of skilled labor. These issues put pressure on production schedules and overall efficiency.

The increase in U.S. tariffs on imports from many trading partners is expected to further intensify these challenges. This could lead to delays in product deliveries.

Despite these risks, Astronics’ return on invested capital (ROIC) of 15.8% is significantly above the industry average of 3.3%. This highlights its strong capital efficiency and effective deployment of resources relative to peers.

Optimistic Analyst Sentiment

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 revenues indicates a 12.5% year-over-year increase, and the same for earnings implies a 36.4% year-over-year increase.  The company has a Growth Score of A.

The consensus estimate for 2026 earnings has moved 3.7% north in the past 30 days.

The consensus estimates for 2026 earnings of KTOS and RKLB witnessed upward movement in the past 30 days.

Parting Thoughts on ATRO Shares

Astronics is poised to grow on its niche focus, proprietary technologies, and exposure to secular aerospace growth trends. Its solid growth prospect and its VGM Score of B instill confidence.  

Optimistic analyst sentiment, price appreciation, a favorable ROIC, and discounted valuation make this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) stock a strong contender for addition to one’s portfolio. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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