Under the Radar: Transdigm's Defensiveness

"Under the Radar" is a daily feature that uncovers little-known companies worthy of investors' consideration. Check in at 5 every morning to find out about stocks that tend to beat their bigger brethren.

Aerospace and defense stocks have taken a hit since the Democrats reclaimed the White House and the defense budget took a back seat to stimulus packages.

Raytheon(RTN Quote), Lockheed Martin(LMT Quote), Boeing(BA Quote) and General Dynamics(GD Quote) are underperforming the Dow Jones Industrial Average so far in 2009. Yet, certain niche players have achieved gains in spite of the murky political scenario.

Cleveland, Ohio-based Transdigm Group(TDG Quote) designs high-tech components for all types of commercial and military aircraft. Its products include ignition systems, gear pumps, luggage bin latches and even lavatory equipment. The company maintains exclusive design rights on 95% of its products, which it sells to original equipment manufacturers and in the aftermarket. ...