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The FTSE 250 hit a fresh 52-week high this week, and I reckon a chunk of that momentum came from one surprising source: Goodwin (LSE: GDWN). The little-known industrial engineering group stunned the market after upgrading its profit forecast, soaring an incredible 50% in a matter of days.
On Tuesday (28 October), its shares briefly touched £238, up from around £135 just a week earlier.
That’s quite a move for a family-run firm that’s been around since 1883. But what exactly does Goodwin do, and is this surge sustainable?
A quiet achiever within the FTSE 250
Goodwin isn’t the kind of household name that dominates investment chatter. Yet its reach across heavy engineering, defence, and energy is substantial. The company manufactures high-spec castings and bespoke components – think radar antennas, precision valves, and specialist materials for oil and gas infrastructure.
Its products often end up in places where reliability isn’t optional, whether that’s a fighter jet radar or a nuclear reactor.
The firm’s mix of engineering excellence and niche market exposure has paid off handsomely this year. On Monday, the board announced that pre-tax profit for the year ending April 2026 was now expected to hit roughly £71m, almost double last year’s figure.
It wasn’t just profits turning heads – the board also unveiled a special dividend of 532p per share, alongside an interim payout of 140p. With a dividend coverage ratio of 3.88, those payments look well funded by cash flow.
Add to that a robust £365m order book spanning defence, nuclear, aerospace and mining contracts, and the outlook certainly appears well supported.
What could go wrong?
Still, I think it’s worth remembering that rapid growth can create as many challenges as it solves. With the share price jumping so far, so fast, Goodwin now trades on a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio above 60 – a figure that makes even seasoned growth investors take a pause.
When a company’s valuation gets that rich, it doesn’t take much disappointment to knock confidence.
A key risk for it lies in its exposure to cyclical industries. Defence demand tends to hold up well, but projects in oil and gas or mining can fluctuate with commodity cycles. Delays in large contracts could also squeeze earnings momentum.
Another concern could be supply-chain pressures, which have hit several industrial manufacturers since the pandemic. While its long-term partnerships offer some protection, margins could come under strain if costs keep climbing.
A long-term story to watch
Despite those concerns, I think there’s still a lot to like here. Goodwin’s mix of specialist engineering capability and diversified end markets gives it a resilience that many mid-cap peers might envy. Its family ownership tends to foster long-term thinking, and its track record of reinvesting profits in high-value niches has created a solid base for future growth.
Valuation aside, the company fits neatly into the broader FTSE 250 narrative of British mid-caps quietly excelling on the global stage. For investors seeking diversified exposure to aerospace and defence, Goodwin’s a fascinating stock to consider.
The share price might have sprinted ahead of itself this week, but in my view, the story underneath remains strong. I’ll be keeping a close eye on whether this under-the-radar FTSE 250 gem can keep up its momentum once the dust settles.
