Start here if you're new
what it is
It makes engineered parts and systems for factories, planes, and defense programs.
how it gets paid
Last year Crane made $2.3B in revenue. Aftermarket service was the main engine at $0.76B, or 33% of sales.
why it's growing
Revenue grew 8.2% last year. Revenue was $2.3B on a trailing basis, up 8.2% vs. prior year.
what just happened
Crane $1.53 beat the $1.48 estimate by 3.38%, and the margin stayed heavy at 37.6%.
At a glance
B++ balance sheet — above average — nothing keeping you up at night
32.7x trailing p/e — you're paying up for this one
0.5% dividend yield — cash in your pocket every quarter
14.0% return on capital — nothing to write home about
$6.50 fy2026 eps est
xvary composite: 60/100 — average
What they do
It makes engineered parts and systems for factories, planes, and defense programs.
You are buying a niche shop, not a commodity box maker. The business split was 56% Process Flow Technologies and 44% Aerospace & Electronics in 2024. That means your risk is spread across factories, aircraft, and defense budgets, and leaving would mean replacing engineering, not just a part number.
How they make money
$2.3B
annual revenue · their business grew +8.2% last year
Aftermarket service
$0.76B
New equipment
$0.53B
Commercial aerospace
$0.58B
Defense & space electronics
$0.43B
The products that matter
process flow components
Process Flow Technologies
$1.3B · +6.8% growth
this segment generated $1.3B in sales and represents the larger disclosed revenue bucket. If process industries soften, you feel it here first.
largest disclosed segment
aerospace and electronics systems
Aerospace & Electronics
$1.0B · +9.8% growth
this $1.0B segment grew faster than Process Flow. That's why investors keep focusing on aircraft build rates, defense demand, and aftermarket strength.
faster disclosed segment
partial revenue disclosure
snapshot data gap
$2.3B shown vs. $3.0B total
the disclosed segment numbers here do not fully reconcile to total revenue. That's not fatal, but you should know when the map on the page is smaller than the business itself.
know the limits
Key numbers
21.5%
operating margin
This tells you the business keeps a lot of each sales dollar after paying operating costs.
$232
18m target
That target is 23% above the current $188.12 price, so the market still has room if execution holds.
32.7x
trailing p/e
You are paying 32.7 years of last year's earnings for one share of stock.
8.2%
revenue growth
Revenue grew 8.2% vs. prior year, which is solid for a $2.3B industrial business.
Financial health
B++
strength
- balance sheet grade B++ — above average financial health
- risk rank 3 — safer than 50% of stocks
- net profit margin 15.8% — keeps 16 cents of every dollar in revenue
- return on equity 18% — $0.18 profit for every $1 investors have put in
B++ — functional but not a standout on the balance sheet.
Total return vs. market
Return history isn't available for CR right now.
source: institutional data · return history unavailable
What just happened
beat estimates
Crane $1.53 beat the $1.48 estimate by 3.38%, and the margin stayed heavy at 37.6%.
Revenue was $2.3B on a trailing basis, up 8.2% vs. prior year. Gross margin held at 37.6%, which kept earnings ahead of expectations.
$2.3B
revenue
$1.53
eps
37.6%
gross margin
the number that mattered
The $1.53 EPS print beat $1.48 by 3.38%, which says demand and margins still held together.
-
crane is putting the finishing touches on another year of strong growth.
-
through nine months of 2025, sales have risen nearly 9% due to strength in aftermarket sales and higher commercial aircraft build rates.
-
over the same time frame, earnings per share have risen by 25% as margins have been bolstered by productivity gains, price increases, and cost savings.
-
we look for another solid profit increase in the fourth quarter, and for the full year we estimate earnings growth of 25%, to $5.75 a share. we look for the good momentum to continue in 2026.the defense industry is in a strong upturn due to political instability in eastern europe, the middle east and other regions.
-
governments in western europe are boosting defense spending after years of neglect.
source: company earnings report, 2026
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What could go wrong
the top risk is the market deciding 32.7x earnings is too much for an industrial growing around 11.7%.
med
valuation versus growth
The stock trades at 32.7x trailing earnings while the fiscal 2026 EPS outlook points to about 11.7% growth. That's a premium multiple attached to a good, not hypergrowth, industrial story.
If growth cools back toward ordinary industrial levels, the stock does not need bad news to de-rate. It just needs the market to stop being generous.
med
process industry cyclicality
Process Flow Technologies accounts for $1.3B of disclosed revenue and grew 6.8%. That's solid. It also means chemicals and other process markets still matter a lot.
If those customers slow projects or maintenance spending, the larger disclosed segment can drag on both revenue and sentiment.
med
margin normalization
EPS has been outgrowing sales because productivity gains, price increases, and cost savings boosted margins. That's great while it lasts. It also gets harder to repeat.
A business at 15.8% net margin and 0.5% dividend yield needs profit momentum to stay convincing. If margin help fades, your valuation cushion is thin.
With a low-end 3–5 year target of $200 versus a current price of $188, the cautious case offers only about 5% upside. That's not much protection if the premium multiple slips.
source: institutional data · regulatory filings · risk analysis
Pay attention to
next catalyst
2026 outlook on the next earnings call
Management's 2026 adjusted EPS guidance matters more than the last quarter's beat. At 32.7x earnings, the stock needs the next chapter, not the last one.
margin watch
can EPS keep outrunning sales
Through nine months of 2025, sales rose nearly 9% while EPS jumped 25%. If that spread narrows fast, the valuation debate gets louder.
segment risk
process flow demand
Process Flow Technologies is the larger disclosed segment at $1.3B. Any softness in chemical or broader process markets will show up there first.
macro tailwind
commercial aerospace and defense demand
Higher aircraft build rates and stronger defense spending have helped the story. If either tailwind fades, the faster-growth narrative gets less comfortable.
Analyst rankings
risk profile
average
risk rank 3 — typical risk profile — neither especially safe nor risky.
source: institutional data
Institutional activity
institutions have been net buying for 2 consecutive quarters — 250 buyers vs. 200 sellers in 3q2025. total institutional holdings: 43.3M shares. net buying for 2 quarters.
source: institutional data
Price targets
3-5 year target range
$150
$313
$188
current price
$232
target midpoint · +23% from current · 3-5yr high: $300 (+60% · 13% ann'l return)
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