FTAI vs ST: How FTAI Aviation and Sensata Technologies Holding plc Compare (2026)

Same yardstick, side by side (as of August 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: ST 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. FTAI and ST 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 FTAI and ST 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.

FTAI Aviation (NASDAQ: FTAI) owns and maintains commercial jet engines and aircraft, with a strategic focus on the maintenance, repair, and exchange (MRE) of CFM56-5B, CFM56-7B, and V2500 engines. These engine types power a large share of the global narrowbody fleet, including the Airbus A320ceo and Boeing 737NG families. The company operates in two reported segments: Aviation Leasing, which as of December 31, 2025 owned and managed 290 aviation assets including 47 commercial aircraft and 243 engines; and Aerospace Products, which develops, manufactures, repairs, and sells engine components through a proprietary Module Factory model. FTAI's differentiated approach is built around its ability to exchange overhauled engine modules faster and at lower cost than traditional full shop visits, providing pricing power rooted in scarcity and technical expertise rather than brand. A newer initiative, FTAI Power, converts surplus CFM56 engines into aeroderivative power turbines aimed at data centers and distributed energy customers, with the first Mod-1 product on track for delivery by Q4 2026.

Full FTAI guide

Sensata Technologies Holding plc is a global industrial technology company that designs and makes sensors, high-voltage protection, and electrical components used mainly in automotive, heavy-vehicle and off-road, industrial, and aerospace applications. It reports in two segments: Performance Sensing, which supplies sensors and high-voltage solutions for cars and heavy vehicles (things like tire-pressure monitoring, thermal management, electrical protection, and powertrain sensing) and made up roughly 70% of sales in fiscal 2024, and Sensing Solutions, which sells application-specific pressure, temperature, and position sensors plus motor protectors, high-voltage contactors, relays, and battery-management products into industrial and other markets. Because most of its revenue is tied to vehicle production, Sensata's results track global light-vehicle build rates and its ability to win content on new platforms far more than any one product line.

Full ST guide

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

• FTAI drivers: Structural MRE demand from narrowbody supply constraints; Asset-light SCI model unlocks higher returns on capital.
• ST drivers: Margin recovery and cost execution; Electrification content per vehicle.

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: FTAI's valuation is demanding relative to peers, with a trailing P/E in the range of 47x to 54x compared to a sector average closer to 21x and an EV/EBITDA of approximately 29x versus peers at 14x to 20x, meaning disappointing execution carries an outsized de-rating risk. For ST, the dominant risk is automotive cyclicality: with most revenue tied to vehicle production, a slowdown in global light-vehicle builds can pressure volumes, and prolonged softness tends to show up later as program churn and factory under-absorption.

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 FTAI if you believe its drivers more; ST 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 FTAI and ST guides.

FTAI. FTAI's revenue has grown at a rapid pace, roughly tripling from 2022 to 2025, driven almost entirely by the Aerospace Products segment's expansion. The valuation reflects these elevated growth expectations, with the stock trading at a substantial premium to both broad aerospace peers and pure-play aircraft lessors. Consistent EPS misses relative to analyst estimates, even as revenue beats, highlight the tension between rapid scaling and margin control, a dynamic investors should watch closely as the company invests heavily in FTAI Power and the SCI program.

ST. Figures are approximate and tied to the asOf date; verify live numbers before acting. The trailing P/E near triple digits is misleading because it divides the price by earnings that were depressed by large 2024 and 2025 goodwill and restructuring charges, so the forward P/E around 12x is the more useful gauge. For a cyclical auto supplier, the valuation ultimately hinges on where vehicle production and margins sit in the cycle rather than on a single multiple.

Headline figures (approximate, 2026-06-27): FTAI shows revenue (full year 2025) ~$2.51 billion, revenue (q1 2026) ~$830.7 million, adjusted ebitda (full year 2025) ~$1.19 billion, net income attributable to shareholders (full year 2025) ~$477.5 million; ST shows revenue (ttm) ~$3.7 billion (Q1 2026 was ~$934.8 million, up ~2.6% year over year), adjusted eps (q1 2026) ~$0.86 (GAAP EPS ~$0.59), net income (q1 2026) ~$87 million attributable to common shareholders, market cap ~$7 billion (mid-cap).

FTAI and ST 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 FTAI and ST exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.