Aviation Week has released the results of its Top-Performing Companies (TPC) Study, which ranks Lockheed Martin, Rockwell Collins, Ceradyne, and AeroVironment as the top companies in their respective peer groups in aerospace and defense for 2008. The results were published in this week's issue of Aviation Week & Space Technology.

Proprietary metrics have been refined over the past 12 years, with input from industry leaders, to include scores in four categories: Return on Invested Capital, Earnings Momentum, Asset Management, and Financial Health. A companion online analytics tool, the Top-Performing Companies Benchmarking Tool, is set to be unveiled at the 2008 Farnborough Airshow, allowing companies to regularly monitor performance and set competitive goals.

Each of the top companies this year was the leader in its category, based on aerospace and defense revenue for the Fiscal Year 2007-08. In particular, in the medium "$1-5 Billion" category, Rockwell Collins was identified as a model "high performer," with consistent improvement that allows it to meet challenges and capture "must-win" programs.

For the ranking tables, explanation of metrics, and full article by Aviation Week & Space Technology Editor-in-Chief Anthony L. Velocci, Jr. and Senior Business Editor Joseph C. Anselmo, visit http://aviationweek.com/aw/generic/tpcshow.jsp.