Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is down nearly 9% this year, while the stocks of other companies with aerospace and defense exposure, like General Electric (NYSE: GE) and AAR Corp (NYSE: AIR), have not only significantly outperformed Lockheed's stock but also trounced the S 500 index. Here's a look at the how and why.

The difference in stock performance comes down to exceeded expectations, favorable valuations at the start of the year, and excellent execution through 2023. The third of these factors is the one management has the strongest control over, and that has distinguished the two industrial companies from Lockheed Martin. Simply put, they have done the boring job of executing well this year.

In contrast, Lockheed Martin has had issues with its single-most important program, the F-35 multirole stealth fighter plane.

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Source Fool.com