Much better Obtain: Boeing vs. Honeywell Worldwide
4 min readThe aerospace sector is a important battleground for buyers going into 2021. On the 1 hand, stocks in the sector glimpse attractively priced. On the other hand no a person actually is aware how the restoration in professional aviation will just take form following year. Let’s get rid of some light on these difficulties by comparing the expenditure situations for two of the foremost companies in the sector, namely Boeing (NYSE:BA) and Honeywell (NYSE:HON).
Honeywell Global
The industrial conglomerate is a properly-operate corporation with its fingers in quite a few industrial pies. The chart under shows a breakout of its phase gain in 2019. Definitely, investors will be worried by the exposure to aerospace, but there’s motive to believe that that Honeywell is relatively properly-positioned in the sector.

Image supply: Getty Images.
For case in point, protection and house profits contributed 38% of aerospace profits for Honeywell in 2019 and, owing to the slump in commercial air journey, it was dependable for 56% of the segment’s gross sales in the 3rd quarter. Also, Honeywell’s aerospace section has somewhat substantial publicity to enterprise and basic aviation (usually close to a 3rd of income) — a current market set to return to 2019 degrees by the summer season of 2021.
Owing to its defense and business aviation publicity, Honeywell is effectively-positioned to offer with any draw back to industrial aviation in 2021.

Facts supply: Honeywell shows. Chart by creator.
Honeywell’s other segments have blended growth potential customers. The strongest is SPS, with warehouse automation expanding strongly as a end result of demand from customers from e-commerce warehousing. The firm’s barcode scanning and mobility products and solutions contributed to expansion in the 3rd quarter.
HBT has a development opportunity coming from elevated recognition amid developing homeowners for the want to create much healthier building environments. In addition, HBT customers can profit from new electronic technologies that let them to assemble real-time knowledge on constructing effectiveness. The PMT segment’s publicity to oil price ranges through process automation and refining catalysts and absorbents suggests it truly is likely to get well gradually.
All advised, Honeywell’s combine of businesses implies it has expansion opportunity in the upcoming number of yrs. Having said that, the problem with Honeywell is not the high-quality of the enterprise it is really the cost of the business. Industrial conglomerates are typically noticed as “fair worth” when investing at 20 situations totally free funds flow (FCF). Given that Wall Street analysts are forecasting $5.4 billion in FCF for 2021 and $5.9 billion in 2022, Honeywell’s industry cap of $150.3 billion indicates it trades on 28 situations and 25 times its FCF for 2021 and 2022. That seems traditionally highly-priced.
Information by YCharts
Boeing
The aerospace large has been strike really hard in modern years, but that was then and this is now. If the industrial aviation market recovers very well, then you can make a powerful circumstance for shopping for the inventory. Following all, this is a organization that created $13.7 billion in FCF in 2018 — equal to around 10.6% of its latest industry cap. The implication is that even if having back again to FCF numbers like that usually takes 5 a long time, and it undoubtedly will get at the very least that, Boeing is a fantastic value appropriate now.
That explained, a whole lot of factors will want to go proper. Boeing will have to get back sector share in the slim-body marketplace just after the 737 MAX grounding. In the meantime, the wide-overall body market place — the place Boeing is typically seen as more robust than Airbus — will consider extended to get well. As such, the concept that the new 777X will act as a spur to a broad-body substitute cycle starting in this decade is now in question.

Impression supply: Getty Visuals.
In addition, Boeing’s sector assumptions search overly optimistic, and management not too long ago walked again anticipations for beneficial FCF in 2021. Toss in the probability of in close proximity to-term weak point owing to a resurgence of COVID-19 conditions in Europe, and Boeing even now faces a lot of worries.
Which stock to get?
You can think of the debate as being one between acquiring an “all-in” perform on aerospace and defense (Boeing) compared to purchasing a corporation with upside publicity to a recovery in aerospace but with a selection of industrial organizations hooked up.
In this context, here is a summation of the vital details:
Chance/Reward |
Honeywell Global |
Boeing |
---|---|---|
Threat |
Draw back constrained by business and standard aviation publicity, and advancement businesses inside the portfolio. |
Significant downside if ongoing decline of market share in narrow-body and vast-body current market fails to recuperate. Steering looks optimistic. |
Reward |
Restricted upside owing to valuation |
Substantial upside, but only if professional aviation recovers, and a ton of factors need to have to go right for Boeing |
Info resource: Author’s examination.
The limited solution is neither. Honeywell is a great organization, but it truly is not a get at this selling price. In the meantime, Boeing has operational as effectively as conclusion-current market worries, and there are far better ways to enjoy an aerospace recovery.
Nonetheless, if selecting among the two stocks I assume Boeing is the far better buy. If the coronavirus vaccine accelerates the normal course of action of herd immunity and business aviation enhances notably in 2021, traders will begin to create in far more positive eventualities for Boeing. That could present substantial upside to the price tag, although Honeywell has little upside probable at this rate. Naturally, hazard-averse traders will stay away from Boeing, but on a hazard/reward basis it can be the far better priced of the two shares suitable now.