Textron Inc TXT

Textron's Increased Focus on Aerospace and Defense Should Pay Off for Investors

Textron is not a household name, but many of its products are. From Cessna airplanes to Bell helicopters to E-Z-Go golf carts, the company designs, produces, and services a wide array of specialized vehicles, overwhelmingly aircraft, for private, commercial, and military customers. In some of its key markets, Textron's products are far and away the most common version in use. Part of the company's strategy is to provide ongoing service and parts for its back catalog of vehicles. Aircraft are generally fairly long-lived, often in use for decades, which provides Textron with many years of recurring revenue streams, though its heavy exposure to business and private aviation can make those revenue streams cyclical.