Curtiss-Wright: From the Dawn of Flight to Nuclear-Powered Defense

Why we added CW to our dividend portfolio

Curtiss-Wright CW 0.00%↑ isn’t just another defense stock—it’s where the story of powered flight began. From courtroom battles between the Wright brothers and Glenn Curtiss to nuclear-powered submarines, this company has been quietly compounding for nearly a century. We just added it to our dividend portfolio—and with a payout ratio under 8% and free cash flow set to double in the next couple of year, we believe the current dividend is only getting started.

The company was founded on July 5, 1929, through the merger of twelve aviation businesses, the most prominent being the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company and Wright Aeronautical Corporation. This historic union brought together the legacies of two of the most important names in aviation: Glenn Curtiss, inventor of the first practical seaplane and an early pioneer of military aviation, and the Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur, who flew the first powered aircraft and patented essential flight control systems.