It's no secret that the aerospace sector took a severe hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In that context, aviation-heavy conglomerate General Electric (NYSE: GE), advanced composites supplier Hexcel (NYSE: HXL), and simulator and pilot training company CAE (NYSE: CAE) all look like attractive stocks to buy now. GE Aviation is GE's most important business and its most significant earnings and cash-flow generator.

Boeing's (BA) Q3 results are expected to benefit from increased 737 deliveries along with reduced expenditures on lower wide-body production rates

Raytheon's (RTX) Q3 results are expected to reflect favorable sales and earnings performance driven by improved trends in commercial aerospace OEM and aftermarket spaces.

Hexcel Corp.'s (HXL) net sales total $333.8 million, lagging the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.3% but improving 16.3% year over year.

Shares of Hexcel Corporation (HXL) declined 1.4% in extended trade on Monday after the company reported mixed results for the third quarter of 2021. Hexcel Corporation develops, manufactures and markets advanced composite materials for the commercial aerospace, space and defense, and industrial markets. (See Hexcel stock charts on TipRanks) Hexcel’s adjusted earnings of $0.13 per share came much ahead of the Street’s expectations of $0.08 per share. The figure also compares favorably with adjust

Hexcel (HXL) delivered earnings and revenue surprises of 62.50% and -5.32%, respectively, for the quarter ended September 2021. Do the numbers hold clues to what lies ahead for the stock?

STAMFORD, Conn., October 18, 2021--Hexcel Corporation (NYSE: HXL):