HXL vs KTOS Stock Comparison
Compare HXL and KTOS across AIQ Score, fundamentals, valuation, momentum, risk, analyst expectations and current market evidence.
What is the main difference between HXL and KTOS?
HXL leads the current stock comparison as Hexcel Corporation, with the clearest separation coming from value and the broader AIQ evidence mix.
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
Hexcel Corporation vs Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc.
HXL leads
HXL leads by 7 AIQ points, primarily on Value and Risk Resilience, having only recently taken the lead back from KTOS. Wall Street currently favors KTOS on target upside.
Fragile: 5 of 6 evidence groups support HXL, the lead recently changed hands, and its current signal state is conflicted.
Hexcel Corporation
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc.
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors HXL over KTOS, 41 versus 34 as of Sep 11, 2026. HXL's advantage is driven primarily by stronger value and risk resilience. HXL also shows the stronger technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average, though analyst target upside currently favors KTOS. 5 of 6 covered evidence groups favor HXL today, and the comparison is rated Fragile on stability: the lead has already changed hands inside the comparison window. HXL lead: Reversed — KTOS led by 5 AIQ points 30 sessions ago; HXL now leads by 7.
Compare Hexcel Corporation and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.
Performance over time
Price-return comparison using available daily close history.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000
Based on available close-price history. Distribution reinvestment is not added unless already reflected in the source series.
Compare HXL and KTOS against another ticker
Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.
AIQ Factor Divergence
Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.
- Value36 vs 25HXL +11
- Risk Resilience71 vs 60HXL +11
- Momentum30 vs 22HXL +8
- Quality41 vs 40Even
5 of 6 evidence groups favor HXL. HXL’s edge is concentrated in value and risk resilience.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-09-10, compared against the prior scored session 2026-09-09.
Largest factor move: Risk Resilience +1
No new signals fired.
Largest factor move: Momentum +1
No new signals fired.
HXL's lead was unchanged in the latest snapshot.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — HXL and KTOS both carry a full feed there.
The central trade-off
HXL (Hexcel Corporation): the stronger current systematic profile, led by value and risk resilience.
KTOS (Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc.): the counter-case, on analyst expectations — but at materially higher volatility, 42.3% against 22.3%.
The AIQ Score and Wall Street therefore point in different directions on this pair.
Which one fits your objective
The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.
Balanced
HXLHXL on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value most heavily.
Growth
HXLHXL on combined revenue and EPS growth.
Value
HXLHXL on the peer-relative Value factor, by 11 points.
Momentum
HXLHXL on the Momentum factor, by 8 points.
Lower downside
HXLHXL on Risk Resilience, by 11 points.
Analyst upside
KTOSKTOS on implied upside to the consensus price target.
AIQ vs Wall Street
The model and the Street disagree here: AIQ favors HXL, analyst targets favor KTOS. That disagreement is the most useful thing on this page.
| Measure | HXL | KTOS | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implied upside to target | +10% | +115.9% | KTOS has more room |
| Target dispersion | +46.1% | +59.5% | Lower is tighter analyst agreement |
| Consensus | Hold | Buy | Context, not a primary driver |
| Analysts covering | 6 | 12 | Higher coverage generally improves confidence |
The two are measuring different things. The AIQ Score reads current fundamentals, valuation, trend and risk; analyst targets price forward expectations. A divergence of this kind is either a contrarian opportunity or a sign the model is missing something already priced in — it is worth resolving before acting on either.
Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
5 of 6 covered evidence groups favor HXL. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | HXL | 41 vs 34 |
| Fundamentals | HXLon balance | revenue growth 7% vs 23.7%; EPS growth 32.7% vs -70.3%; TTM ROE 11.4% vs 1.1%; gross margin 24.5% vs 22%; operating margin 11.5% vs 1.5% — HXL takes 4 of 5 decided legs, not all of them |
| Valuation | HXL | Value 36 vs 25 |
| Technicals | HXL | Price vs 50-day -7.2% vs -10.7%; vs 200-day 1.9% vs -34.1% |
| Risk Resilience | HXL | Risk Resilience 71 vs 60 |
| Analyst expectations | KTOS | Target upside 10% vs 115.9% |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of HXL and KTOS and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The conclusion is sensitive to small changes. Treat the lead as provisional and watch the flip conditions below.
- The AIQ gap is moderate at 7 points.
- 5 of 6 covered evidence groups point the same way. (supports the conclusion holding)
- The lead has already changed hands inside the comparison window. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The leader is throwing conflicting signals. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on HXL.
How the comparison changed
119 daily snapshots · May 4 – Sep 10HXL lead: Reversed — KTOS led by 5 AIQ points 30 sessions ago; HXL now leads by 7.
- Today
- HXL +7
- 41 vs 34
- 7 sessions ago
- HXL +7
- 41 vs 34
- 30 sessions ago
- KTOS +5
- 41 vs 46
- 90 sessions ago
- HXL +13
- 49 vs 36
The lead changed hands once in this window, most recently on Aug 25 when HXL moved ahead of KTOS.
AIQ Signal Divergence
Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.
2 bullish / 2 bearish, conflicted
- Golden Cross Active — bullish, trend, long horizon (12.46%)
- Keltner Channel Breakdown — bearish, volatility, short horizon
- RSI Oversold - Potential Bounce — bullish, momentum, short horizon
1 bullish / 4 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted
- Death Cross Active — bearish, trend, long horizon (36.31%)
- Keltner Channel Breakdown — bearish, volatility, short horizon
- RSI Oversold - Potential Bounce — bullish, momentum, short horizon
HXL leads the comparison while carrying a conflicted signal state, which is one reason the stability rating is not higher.
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price +3.25%, AIQ 0 points).
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price -0.62%, AIQ 0 points).
What would flip this result
A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.
- 1KTOS closes the Value gap — currently 11 points behind, the largest single contributor to HXL's edge.
- 2KTOS's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it.
- 3HXL's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 2 bullish and 2 bearish rules at once.
- 4A regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
The full evidence
Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.
Fundamentals
HXL leads on balance| Metric | HXL | KTOS |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth (YoY) | 7% | 23.7% |
| EPS growth (YoY) | 32.7% | -70.3% |
| Gross margin | 24.5% | 22% |
| Operating margin | 11.5% | 1.5% |
| Return on equity (TTM) | 11.4% | 1.1% |
| Debt to equity | 0.74 | 0.06 |
Performance
HXL leads 5 of 6 windows| Metric | HXL | KTOS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | -2.1% | -1.7% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | -12.2% | -26.4% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | -1.9% | -14.3% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | 6.1% | -47.2% |
| Year to date | 21.5% | -38.1% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | 39.6% | -26.8% |
Technicals
HXL has the stronger structure| Metric | HXL | KTOS |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 29.1 | 19.7 |
| ADX (14) | 35.9 | 21.9 |
| Price vs 50-day | -7.2% | -10.7% |
| Price vs 200-day | 1.9% | -34.1% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 22.3% | 42.3% |
Risk
HXL is the more resilient| Metric | HXL | KTOS |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 0.97 | 2.18 |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.14 | -0.13 |
| Sortino ratio | 2.15 | -0.23 |
| Max drawdown | -18.6% | -66.4% |
| Current drawdown | -18.6% | -64.1% |
| Annualized volatility | 32.5% | 72.5% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -2.9% | -7.2% |
Straight answers
Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.
Which is better, HXL or KTOS?
On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, HXL is the stronger of the two as of Sep 11, 2026, scoring 41 against KTOS's 34. The edge comes from value and risk resilience. This is a systematic score, not a recommendation: it ranks the two on the same evidence, it does not know your holding period or tax position.
Is HXL or KTOS the better buy right now?
HXL carries the stronger systematic profile as of Sep 11, 2026, and the comparison is rated Fragile — 5 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. A Fragile rating means the conclusion is sensitive: the lead has already changed hands inside the comparison window. Treat the lead as provisional.
Why does the AIQ Score favor HXL over KTOS?
The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. HXL leads Value by 11 points; HXL leads Risk Resilience by 11 points; HXL leads Momentum by 8 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.
Which has more analyst upside, HXL or KTOS?
Analyst price targets imply +10% upside for HXL and +115.9% for KTOS, so the Street currently favors KTOS. That points the opposite way to the AIQ Score, which favors HXL. The two are measuring different things: the model reads current fundamentals, valuation, trend and risk; the Street is pricing forward expectations. A divergence of this kind is either a contrarian opportunity or a sign the model is missing something the analysts have already priced — it is the single most useful row on this page to investigate. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Which is better value, HXL or KTOS?
HXL is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. HXL on the peer-relative Value factor, by 11 points. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.
Which has stronger growth, HXL or KTOS?
HXL on combined revenue and EPS growth. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.
Which has stronger momentum, HXL or KTOS?
HXL on the Momentum factor, by 8 points. Momentum is one of the four weighted factors in the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.
Which is riskier, HXL or KTOS?
HXL is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. HXL on Risk Resilience, by 11 points. Risk Resilience is a weighted factor in the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.
Is HXL more profitable than KTOS?
HXL leads on the comparable margin measures — gross margin 24.5% vs 22%; operating margin 11.5% vs 1.5%; ttm roe 11.4% vs 1.1%.
Is HXL's lead over KTOS getting stronger or weaker?
HXL lead: Reversed — KTOS led by 5 AIQ points 30 sessions ago; HXL now leads by 7. This is measured from 119 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-05-04 and 2026-09-10. The lead has changed hands once in that window, most recently on 2026-08-25, when HXL moved ahead of KTOS.
What would change the HXL vs KTOS verdict?
The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: KTOS closes the Value gap — currently 11 points behind, the largest single contributor to HXL's edge; KTOS's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it; HXL's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 2 bullish and 2 bearish rules at once; a regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
What do the current signals say about HXL and KTOS?
HXL: 2 bullish / 2 bearish, conflicted. KTOS: 1 bullish / 4 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted. A conflicted state means bullish and bearish rules are active on the same name at once — the technical evidence is not pointing one way, and a decision taken on it carries more timing risk. The most decision-relevant rule on HXL is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon). On KTOS it is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon).
Compare HXL and KTOS with others
Continue your research
This page answers which of the two. These answer the questions on either side of it.
How this comparison is scored
The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.
The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.
How to use side-by-side comparison →This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.