ALSN vs ASTE vs BWA vs CMI vs LEA

For growth investors, Astec Industries, Inc.

(ASTE) is the stronger pick with 8. 1% revenue growth year-over-year, versus -6. 7% for Allison Transmission Holdings, Inc. (ALSN). Allison Transmission Holdings, Inc. (ALSN) offers the better valuation at 16. 9x trailing P/E (14. 1x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Astec Industries, Inc. (ASTE) a "Buy" — based on 12 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.

On trailing P/E, Allison Transmission Holdings, Inc.

(ALSN) is the cheapest at 16. 9x versus BorgWarner Inc. at 47. 9x. On forward P/E, Lear Corporation is actually cheaper at 9. 6x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth. The PEG ratio (P/E divided by earnings growth rate) is the most growth-adjusted single valuation metric: Lear Corporation wins at 0. 38x versus Cummins Inc. 's 2. 14x — a PEG below 1. 0 traditionally signals the market is underpricing earnings growth.

Over the past 5 years, Allison Transmission Holdings, Inc.

(ALSN) delivered a total return of +185. 8%, compared to -19. 1% for Lear Corporation (LEA). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: CMI returned +554. 9% versus ASTE's +22. 9%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), BorgWarner Inc.

(BWA) is the lower-risk stock at 1. 04β versus Cummins Inc. 's 1. 62β — meaning CMI is approximately 56% more volatile than BWA relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Astec Industries, Inc. (ASTE) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 47% versus 156% for Allison Transmission Holdings, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Astec Industries, Inc.

(ASTE) is pulling ahead at 8. 1% versus -6. 7% for Allison Transmission Holdings, Inc. (ALSN). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Astec Industries, Inc. grew EPS 784. 2% year-over-year, compared to -27. 7% for Cummins Inc.. Over a 3-year CAGR, CMI leads at 6. 2% annualised revenue growth. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

Allison Transmission Holdings, Inc.

(ALSN) is the more profitable company, earning 20. 7% net margin versus 1. 9% for Lear Corporation — meaning it keeps 20. 7% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: ALSN leads at 32. 3% versus 4. 4% for LEA. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — ALSN leads at 48. 4%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.

The PEG ratio (forward P/E divided by expected earnings growth rate) is the most precise measure of undervaluation relative to growth potential.

By this metric, Lear Corporation (LEA) is the more undervalued stock at a PEG of 0. 38x versus Cummins Inc. 's 2. 14x. A PEG below 1. 0 is traditionally considered the threshold for growth-adjusted undervaluation. On forward earnings alone, Lear Corporation (LEA) trades at 9. 6x forward P/E versus 24. 1x for Cummins Inc. — 14. 6x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for BWA: 13. 8% to $69. 80.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

Lear Corporation (LEA) offers the highest yield at 2. 2%, versus 0. 9% for Allison Transmission Holdings, Inc. (ALSN).

For long-horizon retirement investors, Allison Transmission Holdings, Inc.

(ALSN) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 1. 08), 0. 9% yield, +377. 7% 10Y return). Astec Industries, Inc. (ASTE) carries a higher beta of 1. 52 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (ALSN: +377. 7%, ASTE: +22. 9%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.

These companies operate in different sectors (ALSN (Consumer Cyclical) and ASTE (Industrials) and BWA (Consumer Cyclical) and CMI (Industrials) and LEA (Consumer Cyclical)), which means they face different economic cycles, regulatory environments, and macro sensitivities — making direct comparison nuanced.

In terms of investment character: ALSN is a mid-cap deep-value stock; ASTE is a small-cap quality compounder stock; BWA is a mid-cap quality compounder stock; CMI is a mid-cap quality compounder stock; LEA is a small-cap deep-value stock. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.