How Is Northrop Grumman’s Stock Performance Compared to Other Aerospace & Defense Stocks?

Falls Church, Virginia-based Northrop Grumman Corporation (NOC) is an aerospace and defense technology company that designs, develops, and delivers highly sophisticated national security solutions for the U.S. and its international allies. Valued at a market cap of $76.2 billion, the company’s comprehensive portfolio spans cutting-edge autonomous systems, cyber architectures, naval structures, electronic warfare capabilities, advanced munitions, and specialized space systems to support mission-critical operations from under the sea to deep space.

Companies valued at $10 billion or more are typically classified as “large-cap stocks,” and NOC fits the label perfectly, with its market cap exceeding this threshold, underscoring its size, influence, and dominance within the aerospace & defense industry. The company’s core strength lies in its pioneering mastery of low-observable stealth technologies and advanced space architectures, making it an indispensable pillar of global national security.

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Despite its notable strength, this defense company has dipped 32% from its 52-week high of $774, reached on Mar. 3. Moreover, shares of NOC have declined 30.7% over the past three months, considerably underperforming the iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF’s (ITA) 8.2% downtick during the same time frame.

Additionally, on a YTD basis, shares of NOC are down 7.7%, compared to ITA’s 4.8% increase. In the longer term, NOC has gained 7.8% over the past 52 weeks, lagging ITA’s 25.4% uptick over the same time period.

To confirm its bearish trend, NOC has been trading below its 200-day moving average since late April and has remained below its 50-day moving average since mid-March.

Despite reporting better-than-expected Q1 2026 results on April 21, with its total sales rising 4% year-over-year to $9.88 billion and EPS reaching $6.14, NOC’s shares slipped nearly 7% during the trading session as investors looked past the top- and bottom-line beat amid a broader market sell-off tied to stalled U.S.-Iran peace talks.

In the competitive defense and aerospace industry, NOC has outpaced its rival TransDigm Group Incorporated (TDG), which decreased 16.8% over the past 52 weeks and 8.9% on a YTD basis.

Despite NOC’s recent underperformance, analysts remain moderately optimistic about its prospects. The stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the 23 analysts covering it, and the mean price target of $709.43 suggests a 34.9% premium to its current price levels.

On the date of publication, Neharika Jain did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Barchart.com