BKTI vs LHX: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?

Same yardstick, side by side (as of October 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.

Reading it: BKTI is the cheaper of the two on forward earnings, but cheaper is not the same as better. Pair the valuation with growth (how far the forward P/E sits below the trailing P/E) and risk (beta) before you decide.

The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. BKTI and LHX share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.

This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined BKTI and LHX exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

BK Technologies Corporation, based in West Melbourne, Florida, designs and sells two-way land mobile radio (LMR) equipment under the BK Technologies and RELM brands. Its core products are handheld and vehicle-mounted radios, led by the BKR 9000 multiband portable, which can operate across several frequency bands in one device. Customers include wildland firefighters, state and local police and fire departments, and federal agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of the Interior. Nearly all revenue comes from selling radios and accessories, but the company is building a software layer through InteropONE, a push-to-talk over cellular service, and a broader BK ONE platform. With roughly $90 million of trailing revenue it is a tiny supplier next to the industry leaders, and it competes on price, multiband capability, and responsiveness to federal and wildland customers.

Full BKTI guide

L3Harris Technologies is a major US defense and aerospace contractor formed by the 2019 merger of L3 Technologies and Harris Corporation. It positions itself as an agile defense-technology company spanning communications, sensors, electronic warfare, space, intelligence, and missile systems. The business is organized into segments covering Space and Airborne Systems (avionics, sensors, electronic warfare, space payloads), Integrated Mission Systems (ISR, maritime, electro-optical), Communication Systems (tactical radios, secure communications), and, following its acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne, a propulsion segment that makes rocket motors and missile propulsion for the US military and space programs. L3Harris primarily sells to the US Department of Defense, allied governments, and intelligence agencies under long-term contracts, which gives it durable, often multi-year revenue backed by defense budgets. It makes money by designing, building, and supporting mission-critical hardware and software, then earning long-tail revenue from sustainment, upgrades, and spare parts. The company also pursues cost-savings programs to expand margins after its large merger and acquisitions. Over the trailing twelve months to mid-2026 it generated about $22.9 billion of revenue (up about 8% year over year in the latest quarter) and about $1.9 billion of net income. In its second quarter of 2026 revenue reached about $5.88 billion and EPS of $3.63 came in well above the roughly $2.84 consensus. In October 2026 it signed a teaming agreement with Divergent Technologies to raise production of lower-cost munitions. Headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, with about 45,000 employees.

Full LHX guide

Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.

• BKTI drivers: BKR 9000 multiband adoption; BKR 9500 mobile radio launch.
• LHX drivers: Rising global defense spending; Diversified mission-critical portfolio.

A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: BK is a small supplier competing against Motorola Solutions and L3Harris, which have far larger sales forces, installed bases and system-level contracts that can lock agencies into their radios for years. For LHX, l3Harris depends heavily on US government and allied defense budgets, so spending cuts, continuing resolutions, government shutdowns, or shifting priorities directly threaten revenue.

Growth-minded investors who believe the theme has years to run tend to accept the richer multiple for more upside; value-minded investors lean toward the cheaper forward earnings and steadier profile. Pick BKTI if you believe its drivers more; LHX if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the BKTI and LHX guides.

BKTI. At a share price near ~$65 and a market cap of ~$245 million, BKTI trades at about 19x trailing GAAP earnings and roughly 2.7x trailing sales. Net cash of ~$29.9 million works out to about $8 per share, so the operating business is valued at closer to ~$215 million. Management guides to ~$90 million of 2026 revenue, which implies a slower second half than the first, plus GAAP EPS above ~$3.15 and adjusted EPS near ~$3.55. The multiple therefore assumes margins hold above 50% and that the BKR 9500 restarts earnings growth in 2027. Price figures are approximate because the thinly traded stock moved in a wide range during 2026.

LHX. At about $243 a share, L3Harris trades near 24.5 times trailing earnings but about 18 times forward earnings, because analysts expect EPS to keep growing at a low-double-digit pace into 2027. The share price has fallen about 20% in 2026 while earnings rose and the last four quarters all beat estimates, so the multiple has compressed with sector sentiment rather than with the results. The analyst mean target of about $317 sits well above the current price, though several firms trimmed targets in October.

Headline figures (approximate, October 2026): BKTI shows revenue (ttm) ~$90.6 million, q2 2026 revenue ~$23.4 million (up ~11%), gross margin (q2 2026) ~51.9%, gaap eps (ttm) ~$3.39; LHX shows revenue (ttm) ~$22.9 billion, revenue growth (latest quarter, yoy) ~8%, operating margin ~12.6%, net income (ttm) ~$1.9 billion.

BKTI and LHX are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined BKTI and LHX exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.