ST Engineering: From tailwinds to proof points - A&D global read-throughs; 1H26 preview, d/g to Neutral

Research evidence excerpt

ST Engineering: From tailwinds to proof points - A&D global read-throughs; 1H26 preview, d/g to Neutral

Karen Li, CFA AC Asia Pacific Equity Research

(852) 2800-8589 30 July 2026 J P M O R G A N

karen.yy.li@jpmorgan.com

window, especially when backlog concentration and mix can create earnings volatility.

When quarterly results disappoint on mix or margin, and management commentary does

not pull forward concrete catalyst timing, the market tends to conclude that upside will

be back-end loaded and therefore less investable near-term. That is a recipe for

underperformance even in a structurally positive cycle, because investors can rotate into

names with clearer conversion and cleaner margin optics. For our framing, Hyundai

Rotem is another example of the market’s current filter: “show me orders + margin

delivery now,” not “tell me the opportunity is large.”

Airbus (covered by David Perry) has stood out by giving the market what it is

actually rewarding right now: clearer medium-term anchors plus explicit

shareholder returns. Airbus’ update has been a useful counterexample to the broader

peer underperformance, because it illustrates that the market is still willing to pay for

industrial beneficiaries when management provides firmer medium-term guidance,

credible cash conversion framing, and tangible capital return actions that investors can

model. It also shows that investors are getting more granular on divisional mix and the

sustainability of earnings drivers, which can create dispersion even within a strong

group-level story. For our purposes, Airbus helps explain why the structural macro

backdrop has not lifted all boats: in a period of valuation compression, the market

selectively rewards clarity and capital allocation discipline, while punishing uncertainty