Advertisement
New Zealand markets closed
  • NZX 50

    12,105.29
    +94.63 (+0.79%)
     
  • NZD/USD

    0.5988
    +0.0012 (+0.20%)
     
  • NZD/EUR

    0.5539
    +0.0006 (+0.11%)
     
  • ALL ORDS

    8,153.70
    +80.10 (+0.99%)
     
  • ASX 200

    7,896.90
    +77.30 (+0.99%)
     
  • OIL

    83.11
    -0.06 (-0.07%)
     
  • GOLD

    2,254.80
    +16.40 (+0.73%)
     
  • NASDAQ

    18,254.69
    -26.15 (-0.14%)
     
  • FTSE

    7,952.62
    +20.64 (+0.26%)
     
  • Dow Jones

    39,807.37
    +47.29 (+0.12%)
     
  • DAX

    18,492.49
    +15.40 (+0.08%)
     
  • Hang Seng

    16,541.42
    +148.58 (+0.91%)
     
  • NIKKEI 225

    40,369.44
    +201.37 (+0.50%)
     
  • NZD/JPY

    90.5030
    +0.1100 (+0.12%)
     

Raytheon Clinches $396M Deal to Support Standard Missile-6

Raytheon Company’s RTN Missile Systems (MS) business division recently secured a $395.5-million modification contract for providing full rate production requirements and spare parts for Standard Missile-6 (SM-6), also known as the RIM-174 Standard Extended Range Active Missile. The contract was awarded by the Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC.

Details of the Deal

Work related to the deal will be primarily executed in East Camden, AR; Tucson, AZ and Wolverhampton, the United Kingdom. The entire task related to the deal is expected to get completed by September 2022.

The cumulative value of the contract can go up to $579.7 million, if the options included in the contract are exercised. Raytheon will utilize fiscal 2017 and 2018 weapons procurement (Navy) funds for completing the task.

Standard Missile-6 Specifics

The Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) system is an endo-atmospheric interceptor, which engages cruise missiles, aircraft and ballistic missiles in the terminal phase. Deployed on cruisers and destroyers in the U.S. Navy, it is the only missile that supports anti-air warfare, anti-surface warfare and sea-based terminal ballistic missile defense in one solution.

What’s Favoring Raytheon?

Increasing geo-political tensions across the globe have prompted nations to strengthen their defense arsenal with technologically advanced missile systems. With these significant advancements, missile defense has steadily emerged to play a pivotal role in a nation’s defense strategy. To this end, Raytheon’s advanced MS segment has been clinching frequent awards from the United States as well as international customers, courtesy of its high- end, combat-proven missiles.

Notably, the MS division recorded second-quarter 2018 net sales of $2,051 million, reflecting a 7.9% improvement from the year-ago quarter. Furthermore, this segment has recently acquired a deal worth $1.5 billion for its Patriot Missile System. We may expect such notable contracts to instill further growth in this segment, going ahead.

Meanwhile, toward the end of June 2018, the U.S. Senate approved the fiscal 2019 defense budget that provisions for major war fighting investments worth $6 billion for Missile Defense Programs. Raytheon, being the largest missile maker in the United States, will surely be a significant beneficiary from this budget. This, in turn, reflects solid growth prospects for its MS segment, which, going ahead, will most likely boost the company’s profit margin.

Looking Ahead

Per the Markets and Markets research firm, the rocket and missile market is projected to to see a CAGR of 4.74% rising from $55.5 billion in 2017 to $70 billion in 2022. Such growth can be attributed to the increasing geopolitical conflicts, war, and terrorism, significantly driving the demand for rockets and missiles on a global scale. Given this massive opportunity for expansion, frequent contract wins from Pentagon for its missile systems, including the latest one, will allow Raytheon to enhance its market share in the aerospace and defense industry.

Price Movement

Raytheon’s stock has gained 10.2% in the past 12 months compared with the industry’s growth of 17.5%. The underperformance may have been caused due to tough competition that the company faces in the defense market.



Zacks Rank & Key Picks

Raytheon currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

A few better-ranked stocks in the same sector are Heico Corporation HEI, Wesco Aircraft Holdings WAIR and Huntington Ingalls Industries HII.

While Huntington Ingalls sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Heico Corporation and Wesco Aircraft carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Huntington Ingalls pulled off an average positive earnings surprise of 9.48% for the trailing four quarters. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2018 earnings has moved 6.4% north to $17.24 in the last 90 days.

Heico Corporation came up with an average positive earnings surprise of 2.15% in the last four quarters. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2018 earnings has risen 2.73% to $1.88 in the last 90 days

Wesco Aircraft delivered an average positive earnings surprise of 1.10% in the last four quarters. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2018 earnings has moved up 2.6% to 79 cents in the last 90 days.

5 Companies Verge on Apple-Like Run

Did you miss Apple's 9X stock explosion after they launched their iPhone in 2007? Now 2018 looks to be a pivotal year to get in on another emerging technology expected to rock the market. Demand could soar from almost nothing to $42 billion by 2025. Reports suggest it could save 10 million lives per decade which could in turn save $200 billion in U.S. healthcare costs. A bonus Zacks Special Report names this breakthrough and the 5 best stocks to exploit it. Like Apple in 2007, these companies are already strong and coiling for potential mega-gains.

Click to see them right now >>


Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
 
Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. (HII) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Wesco Aircraft Holdings, Inc. (WAIR) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Heico Corporation (HEI) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Raytheon Company (RTN) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
 
Zacks Investment Research