Based on key financial metrics such as the price-to-sales ratio, shareholder yield and the price-earnings ratio, the following 3 stocks made the list for top value stocks in the Aerospace & Defense industry. Those looking for value stocks to add to their portfolio may want to use this list as a starting point for further investment research.
Why Focus on Undervalued Aerospace & Defense Stocks?
Value investors seek to buy stocks at a discount to their intrinsic value. Long-term returns show that such strategies are advantageous. Value stocks, as a group, tend to outperform growth stocks over extended periods of time. Typically, value investors perform financial analysis of numerous metrics, don’t follow the herd and are long-term investors.
AAII’s A+ Investor Value Grade is derived from a stock’s Value Score. The Value Score is the percentile rank of the average of the percentile ranks of the price-to-sales ratio, price-earnings ratio, enterprise-value-to-EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) ratio, shareholder yield, price-to-book-value ratio and price-to-free-cash-flow ratio. The score is variable, meaning it can consider all six ratios or, should any of the six ratios not be valid, the remaining ratios that are valid. To be assigned a Value Score, stocks must have a valid (non-null) ratio and corresponding ranking for at least two of the six valuation ratios.
What Goes Into AAII’s Value Grade?
Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data as well as the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movement. AAII created A+ Investor, a robust data suite that condenses data research in an actionable and customizable way suitable for investors of all knowledge levels, to help investors with that task.
AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A–F grades for more than just value. It is possible for a stock to appear cheap based on one valuation metric but appear expensive on another. It is also possible for one valuation ratio to be associated with outperforming stocks during certain periods of time but not others. Some stocks may even have null values for certain metrics like the price-earnings ratio or the price-to-book ratio but not others. An example of this would be a company with losses instead of profits or a negative book value because of heavy borrowing. Negative earnings or book value result in non-meaningful ratios that are left blank or null.
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3 Undervalued Aerospace & Defense Stocks
Of course, there are countless value stocks that are worth mentioning, but this is a concise list of the top 3 undervalued stocks in the Aerospace & Defense industry for Tuesday, April 21, 2026. Let’s take a closer look at their individual scores to see how they measure up against each other and the Aerospace & Defense industry median.
| Company | Ticker | Price/Sales | Price/Earnings | EV/EBITDA | Shareholder Yield | Price/Book Value | Price/Free Cash Flow | Value Grade |
| AerSale Corporation | ASLE | 1.04 | 39.2 | 12.0 | 11.3% | 0.77 | na | B |
| Butler National Corporation | BUKS | 2.86 | 13.4 | 5.7 | 4.1% | 3.36 | 16.0 | B |
| Textron Inc. | TXT | 1.12 | 17.9 | 10.6 | 4.6% | 2.03 | 18.0 | B |
The Value Grade is assigned based on how each stock’s composite valuation compares to all other stocks.
The process for assigning grades starts with each variable for a given stock. The percentile rankings for all valid ratios that a stock has are calculated. So, for instance, a stock could have a price-to-book ranking in the 43rd percentile, a price-earnings ranking in the 67th percentile, a price-to-sales ranking in the 23rd percentile, etc. Then, those rankings are averaged for each stock. (A minimum of two valid variables are required, though all six will be used if available.)
Once the average of the individual variables is calculated, that average is ranked against all stocks. Put another way, each stock’s composite valuation is compared to all other stocks. These ranks are then sorted into quintiles from the cheapest 20% (a grade of A) to the most expensive 20% (a grade of F).
As always, we recommend that you conduct proper due diligence and research before investing in any security. We also suggest that investors utilize numerous grades, not just value, when it comes to deciding whether a company is a good fit for their allocation needs.
AerSale Corporation’s Value Grade
Value Grade:
| Metric | Score | ASLE | Industry Median |
| Price/Sales | 33 | 1.04 | 3.94 |
| Price/Earnings | 77 | 39.2 | 41.0 |
| EV/EBITDA | 46 | 12.0 | 17.8 |
| Shareholder Yield | 3 | 11.3% | (1.1%) |
| Price/Book Value | 15 | 0.77 | 4.87 |
| Price/Free Cash Flow | na | na | 48.5 |
AerSale Corporation provides aftermarket commercial aircraft, engines, and its parts to passenger and cargo airlines, leasing companies, original equipment manufacturers, government and defense contractors, and maintenance, repair, and overhaul service providers worldwide. It operates in two segments, Asset Management Solutions and Technical Operations (TechOps). The Asset Management Solutions segment engages in the sale and lease of aircraft, engines, and airframes, as well as disassembly of these assets for component parts. The TechOps segment provides internal and third-party aviation services, including internally developed engineered solutions, heavy aircraft maintenance and modification, and component MRO, as well as end-of-life disassembly services. This segment provides aircraft modifications, cargo and tanker conversions of aircraft, and aircraft storage; and MRO services for landing gear, thrust reversers, hydraulic systems, and other aircraft components. AerSale Corporation was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Doral, Florida.
Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are value and so on.
AerSale Corporation has a Value Score of 75, which is considered to be undervalued.
When you look at AerSale Corporation’s price-to-sales ratio at 1.04 compared to the industry median at 3.94, this company has a lower price relative to revenue compared to its peers. This could make AerSale Corporation’s stock more attractive for value investors.
AerSale Corporation’s price-earnings ratio is 39.20 compared to the industry median at 41.00. This means it has a lower share price relative to earnings compared to its peers. This could make AerSale Corporation more attractive for value investors.
Now, let’s assess AerSale Corporation’s EV/EBITDA ratio, also known as enterprise multiple. At 12.0, when compared to the industry median of 17.8, the company may be considered undervalued in relation to its peers. Value investors could use the enterprise multiple to identify stocks that are considered overvalued or undervalued relative to their industry.
Shareholder yield is the sum of a stock’s dividend yield (paid over previous 12 months minus special dividends) and the percentage of net share buybacks over the previous 12 months. AerSale Corporation’s shareholder yield is higher than its industry median ratio of (1.10%). Value investors may look for an attractive shareholder yield because it can be a powerful tool for identifying if the company has a good management team.
As one of the most common value metrics, the price-to-book ratio evaluates a company’s current market price relative to its book value. AerSale Corporation’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its industry median ratio of 4.87. This could make AerSale Corporation more attractive to investors looking for a new addition to their portfolio.
Butler National Corporation’s Value Grade
Value Grade:
| Metric | Score | BUKS | Industry Median |
| Price/Sales | 60 | 2.86 | 3.94 |
| Price/Earnings | 29 | 13.4 | 41.0 |
| EV/EBITDA | 13 | 5.7 | 17.8 |
| Shareholder Yield | 19 | 4.1% | (1.1%) |
| Price/Book Value | 67 | 3.36 | 4.87 |
| Price/Free Cash Flow | 40 | 16.0 | 48.5 |
Butler National Corporation designs, engineers, manufactures, sells, integrates, installs, repairs, modifies, overhauls, services, and distributes a portfolio of aerostructures, aircraft components, avionics, accessories, subassemblies, and systems. It operates through two segments, Aerospace Products and Professional Services. The Aerospace Products segment designs, manufactures, sells, and services structural modifications, design, integration, and installation of electronic equipment, systems and technologies, as well as defense related articles; and operates repair stations. Its products include aerial surveillance, aerodynamic enhancement, avcon stability enhancing fins, airplane nose extension, cargo/sensor carrying pods and radomes, fuel system protection devices, navigation / flight display installations, crew work stations, electrical power systems and switching equipment, enlarged aircraft doors, powered airplane sensor lifts, and specialized cabling and harnesses products; and provisions to allow carrying of external stores. The company also provides modifications on aerial photograph capabilities, aerodynamic improvements, avionics systems, cargo or expanded-sized doors, search and rescue, airborne research capability, extended range fuel tanks, radar systems, intelligence surveillance reconnaissance, special mission modifications, target towing capability, and traffic collision avoidance systems; and cabling, electronic control systems, hangfire override modules, test equipment, and gun control units for apache and blackhawk helicopters, and land and sea based military vehicles. The Professional Services segment manages a gaming, dining, and entertainment facility. It serves owners and operators of private, commercial, business and government aircraft; and commercial weapon manufacturers and suppliers in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and internationally. The company was incorporated in 1960 and is based in New Century, Kansas.
Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are value and so on.
Butler National Corporation has a Value Score of 68, which is considered to be undervalued.
Butler National Corporation’s price-earnings ratio is 13.4 compared to the industry median at 41.0. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Butler National Corporation more attractive for value investors.
Butler National Corporation’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Butler National Corporation less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 4.87.
You can read more about Butler National Corporation’s key financial metrics like shareholder yield, price-to-free-cash-flow and EV/EBITDA ratio, or learn more about its Momentum and Growth Grades, by subscribing to A+ Investor.
Textron Inc.’s Value Grade
Value Grade:
| Metric | Score | TXT | Industry Median |
| Price/Sales | 34 | 1.12 | 3.94 |
| Price/Earnings | 43 | 17.9 | 41.0 |
| EV/EBITDA | 38 | 10.6 | 17.8 |
| Shareholder Yield | 17 | 4.6% | (1.1%) |
| Price/Book Value | 51 | 2.03 | 4.87 |
| Price/Free Cash Flow | 45 | 18.0 | 48.5 |
Textron Inc. operates in the aircraft, defense, industrial, and finance businesses worldwide. It operates in six segments: Textron Aviation, Bell, Textron Systems, Industrial, Textron eAviation, and Finance. The Textron Aviation segment manufactures, sells, and services business jets, turboprop and piston engine aircraft, and military trainer and defense aircraft, as well as offers maintenance, inspection, and repair services; commercial parts; and advanced flight training devices. The Bell segment supplies military and commercial helicopters, tiltrotor aircraft, and related spare parts and services. The Textron Systems segment offers unmanned aircraft systems, electronic systems and solutions, advanced marine crafts, piston aircraft engines, live military air-to-air and air-to-ship training, weapons and related components, and armored and specialty vehicles. The Industrial segment offers blow-molded solutions, including conventional plastic fuel tanks and pressurized fuel tanks; plastic tanks for catalytic reduction systems and other fuel system components; lightweight and composite pentatonic battery systems for use in electric vehicles primarily to automobile original equipment manufacturers; and golf cars, off-road utility vehicles, powersports products, light transportation vehicles, aviation ground support equipment, professional turf-maintenance equipment, and turf-care vehicles to golf courses and resorts, government agencies and municipalities, consumers, outdoor enthusiasts, and commercial and industrial users. The Textron eAviation segment manufactures and sells light aircraft and gliders with electric and combustion engines; and provides other research and development initiatives related to sustainable aviation solutions. The Finance segment offers financing services to purchase new and pre-owned aviation aircraft and Bell helicopters. Textron Inc. was founded in 1923 and is headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island.
Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are value and so on.
Textron Inc. has a Value Score of 68, which is considered to be undervalued.
Textron Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 17.9 compared to the industry median at 41.0. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Textron Inc. more attractive for value investors.
Textron Inc.’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Textron Inc. less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 4.87.
You can read more about Textron Inc.’s key financial metrics like shareholder yield, price-to-free-cash-flow and EV/EBITDA ratio, or learn more about its Momentum and Growth Grades, by subscribing to A+ Investor.
Other Aerospace & Defense Stock Grades
Value is just one of the five Stock Grades included in our A+ Investor service. AAII members can see the top-graded stocks—those with grades of A or B for value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality—on the A+ Stock Grades Screener.
Also, if you want full access to all of AAII’s premium services, you can subscribe to one convenient bundled plan called AAII Platinum where you can try out A+ Investor, AAII Dividend Investing, the Stock Superstars Report, Growth Investing and VMQ Stocks. With the other premium services, you can dive deep into additional metrics, portfolios, commentary and information about Aerospace & Defense stocks as well as other industrys.
Choosing Which of the 3 Best Aerospace & Defense Stocks Is Right for You
Choosing which value stocks to invest in will ultimately depend on your individual goals and allocation; however, comparing similar value stocks in the same industry can help you analyze which might be better investments for you in the long run. So, let’s take a look at the Value Grade for all of our stocks.
- AerSale Corporation stock has a Value Grade of B.
- Butler National Corporation stock has a Value Grade of B.
- Textron Inc. stock has a Value Grade of B.
Now that you have a bit more background about each of the 3 undervalued stocks in the Aerospace & Defense industry as well as their overall grades, it’s time for you to conduct additional research to see if these could fit your portfolio needs based on your goals and risk tolerance. AAII can help you figure out both and identify which investments align with what works best for you.
We do so through a program of education that teaches you to invest for yourself and become an effective manager of your own wealth—no more relying on others for your financial independence. You can rely on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis that makes you a better investor.
A+ Investor adds to that qualitative teaching by giving you a powerful data suite that helps you whittle down investment decisions to find stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that meet your needs.
Additional Resources About Aerospace & Defense Stocks
Want to learn more about Aerospace & Defense stocks to see if they could be the right investment for you? Check out some additional resources and articles to help you on your financial journey.
- 3 Undervalued Aerospace & Defense Stocks for Tuesday, April 21
- Is RTX Corporation (RTX) Overvalued?
- Is The Boeing Company (BA) Overvalued?
- Is RTX Corporation (RTX) Overvalued?
AAII Disclaimer
We make no representations or warranties that any investor will, or is likely to, achieve profits similar to those shown, because past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Before making an investment decision, you should consider your circumstances and whether the information on our content is applicable to your situation. This information was prepared in good faith and we accept no liability for any errors or omissions. The full disclaimer can be read here.
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