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Transdigm Group Beats Earnings Estimates and Rallies to All-Time Highs

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TransDigm Group (TDG - Free Report) , an American aerospace and defense company that specializes in the design, production, and supply of highly engineered aircraft components reported a stellar quarter of earnings Thursday morning.

TransDigm Group focuses on proprietary and sole-source products, serves both commercial and military markets, providing critical components for a wide range of aircraft and aerospace applications. The company is known for its strong market position and a portfolio of well-established brands within the aerospace industry.

In addition to its dominant position in the industry, TDG has benefitted from the increase in US Federal budgets, the rise in international military conflict, and the recovery in commercial air traffic. All this together led to a banner quarter for the aerospace engineering company.

TransDigm Group stock is up 8.5% on the day following this morning’s report.

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Quarterly Earnings Report

All the bullish catalysts listed above had already alerted analysts to the strong current carrying TransDigm Group higher. Even before the meeting TDG had a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) rating, indicating upward trending earnings revisions.

But TDG still surprised to the upside even with the upgraded earnings estimates. The company reported EPS of $8.03, 7% above analysts' expectations and a 46% YoY gain. Sales of $1.85 billion also beat estimates by 1% and showed a YoY increase of 23%.

In addition to being a steading earnings grower, TDG also prioritizes growing its Free Cash Flow. I always like to see companies prioritize this metric, as it is one of the most explicit ways to measure a company's profitability, while also allowing for financial flexibility.

With growing cash reserves the company is free to pay down debt, reinvesting in the company technology or infrastructure and return cash to shareholders through dividends and buybacks.

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Stock Performance

TransDigm Group stock has put up an almost unbelievable performance over the last 17 years, compounding at an annual rate of 28.5% over that time. Consistent performance at this level cannot be overlooked and makes TDG a worthy portfolio holding through good and bad times.

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Valuation

Today, TransDigm Group is trading at a one year forward earnings multiple of 31.7x, which is above the market average and above its 10-year median of 27.3x.

While this is a premium valuation, it is worth noting that the company is forecasting impressive EPS growth in the coming years. Over the next 3-5 years earnings are expected to grow at an annual rate of 25.7%.

This gives TDG a PEG ratio just above 1x, meaning it is likely right in line with fair value.

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Unique Approach

TransDigm Group’s unique approach has set it up to be a truly standout company, demonstrated by its exceptional stock performance. The company was founded in 1993 by a Private Equity firm, who saw an opportunity to combine four industrial aerospace companies.

TDG has maintained this approach, consistently acquiring new manufacturing businesses, thus expanding its range of components, while creating synergies between the businesses. This clinical approach to capital allocation has played a critical role in engineering those phenomenal stock returns.

It also goes to show what kind of advantages an approach like this can create. Although TDG has built out a very niche business with few relevant comparisons, it has dramatically outperformed its nearest competitors.

As for Aerospace companies, such as Boeing (BA - Free Report) , the business economics are far less competitive than TransDigm. Boeing is of course the more well-known company, who produces the final airplane product, but its stock has far underperformed. It is clear that Boeing has an inferior business model, a concept investors must consider when picking stocks.

Another reasonable comp is General Dynamics (GD - Free Report) , a diversified aerospace and defense company that has also underperformed TransDigm Group over the last decade. Again, General Dynamics enjoys an impressive and diverse business, but clearly not that of TDG.

As a producer primarily of components, rather than end products, TransDigm has far wider margins than General Dynamics, and more flexibility when introducing, and iterating new products.

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Bottom Line

TransDigm Group is a compelling addition to any investor’s portfolio, and this quarter’s report further cemented that reality.

Furthermore, it is a fantastic example of what to look for when screening for long-term winning stocks. The company flat out has better business economics than many others in the market, and if you are an investor looking to achieve very high long-term returns, compounder stocks like Transdigm are a powerful way to do it.


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