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Thales S.A.

THLLY
56
Aerospace & Defense · Industrials
Price
$59.03
-0.53 (-0.89%)
Market Cap
$60.64B
Exchange
Other OTC
Winston Score
56
Winston is curious
A decent business — some strong pillars, some weaker.
Data as of Aug 23, 2026 · filings through Jun 30, 2026
How the score breaks down
Quality
Good
Growth
Good
Cash Flow
Exceptional
Stability
Strong
Valuation
Weak
Dividends
Good

Share count falling — buybacks

3.4% over 4y

The company has reduced its share count over this period, returning value to shareholders through buybacks.

Diluted shares outstanding: 1.07B (2021) → 1.03B (2025)

Winston Score History

The full picture

Thales S.A. is a large French defense and technology company that builds systems for governments, militaries, and airlines around the world. Its main products include radar systems, military communications equipment, satellite technology, cybersecurity software, and avionics — the electronics that help planes fly safely. Thales is one of Europe's largest defense contractors and also supplies critical digital security systems to banks and governments.

Thales makes money by selling hardware, software, and long-term service contracts to customers like national militaries, aerospace companies, and financial institutions. It operates primarily in Europe, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, and North America, with France as its home base and the French government as a major shareholder. Its deep integration into government defense programs creates high switching costs, which is a strong competitive advantage. The key growth driver is rising global defense spending, particularly in Europe following increased geopolitical tensions, though currency fluctuations and export restrictions on defense equipment remain ongoing risks.

Growth Profile

When traditional metrics don't capture the full picture, these are the signals growth stock investors use instead.

Revenue Growth

+8.8% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

Slow revenue growth

EPS Growth

-26.2% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

Earnings declining

R&D Spend

€1.3B/ year

Flat (+0% vs prior year)

6.0% of revenue

In line with sector average (4%)

Steady R&D investment year-over-year

Insider Activity

91.2%ownership

Insiders own a meaningful stake in the company

Cash Position

Cash flow positive

€7.2B cash & investments

Quarterly Free Cash Flow

↑ Burn rate improving

Company generates more cash than it spends — no dilution risk from fundraising

Growth context

Thales S.A. is growing revenue at 9% year-over-year. The Winston Score measures business quality today — these growth metrics show what could matter tomorrow.

The Winston Score above measures business quality today. Growth stocks often score lower because they invest in the future rather than maximising current profits. These metrics show what matters most for evaluating that future.

Score breakdown

Every number that matters to educated investors.

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Quality

Profit per sale
Gross Margin
27.3%
Modest — 27.3% gross margin
Profit after running costs
Operating Margin
10.5%
Modest — 10.5% operating margin
Return on the money invested
ROCE
17.9%
Strong — 17.9% return on capital

ROIC between 15% and 25%. Every dollar invested in the business earns 15 to 25 cents back per year.

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Growth

Sales growth
Sales YoY
+7.5%
Steady sales growth (+7.5% YoY)
Profit growth
EPS YoY
+118.3%
Earnings growing fast (+118.3% YoY)

Earnings growing 25%+ a year. The compounder zone.

How steady the profit is
EPS Consistency
3/8 quarters
Earnings rarely grow — volatile business

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Cash Flow

Profit that turns into cash
Cash Conversion
318%
Turns 318% of profit into real cash
Spare cash per sale
FCF Margin
17.5%
Converts sales into free cash efficiently (17.5%)

FCF margin between 10% and 20%. Every $100 in sales becomes $10 to $20 in real cash.

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Stability

What it owes vs what it owns
Debt / Equity
0.70
Moderate — manageable debt (0.70)
Covers its interest
Interest Cover
10.79x
Comfortably covers interest (10.8x)

Interest coverage above 8. Profits cover interest many times over.

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Valuation

Price vs profit
P/E Ratio (TTM)
40.4x
Pricey — P/E 40.4

P/E over 35. The market is pricing in heavy, sustained growth.

Cheaper or dearer next year
P/E vs Forward
N/A
not available
Data not available

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Dividends

Dividend
Dividend Yield
1.65%
Small dividend — 1.65% yield

Modest yield. The bulk of any return needs to come from price appreciation.

Dividend record
Dividend Growth
+18.7%
Dividend growing fast (18.7% YoY)

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