iShares Core Growth Allocation ETF vs Northrop Grumman Corporation — how do they compare? iShares Core Growth Allocation ETF trades at $69.08, while Northrop Grumman Corporation trades at $543.73 (market cap $76.65B). The key difference: Northrop Grumman Corporation pays a 1.74% dividend while iShares Core Growth Allocation ETF pays none, and iShares Core Growth Allocation ETF is trading nearer its 52-week high, Northrop Grumman Corporation nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AOR | NOC | |
|---|---|---|
52-Week High | $69.85 | $768.02 |
52-Week Low | $61.00 | $496.02 |
Market Cap | — | $76.65B |
Sector | — | Industrials |
Enterprise Value | — | $90.87B |
Dividend Yield | — | 1.74% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
The iShares Core Growth Allocation ETF (AOR) trades at $69.10, up 0.25% on the day, with a bearish technical signal from moving averages and neutral oscillators. The fund maintains a fixed 60/40 stock/bond allocation, rebalanced semiannually, with a low 0.20% expense ratio. Recent news highlights its role as a core holding but notes underperformance versus the S&P 500 over a decade.
Outlook: AOR offers diversified, low-cost exposure but faces headwinds from equity-bond correlation shifts. Risks include interest rate sensitivity and competition from pure equity funds. Analyst sentiment is mixed, balancing simplicity against relative returns.
Northrop Grumman (NOC) trades at $539.63, up 1.39% with a bearish technical signal despite recent earnings beats. The stock shows strong fundamentals with a $95.61B backlog, 10.8% net margin, and consistent cash flow growth. Analyst consensus remains bullish with a $694.40 price target, though technical indicators show resistance near $542.
NOC presents a compelling value opportunity with reasonable valuation (P/E 16.92) and strong defense sector positioning. Key risks include political budget uncertainty and execution challenges. The upcoming Q2 earnings on July 21, 2026, will be crucial for confirming growth trajectory amid current technical weakness.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
The fund is a fund of funds and seeks its investment objective by investing primarily in underlying funds that themselves seek investment results corresponding to their own respective underlying indexes. It generally will invest at least 80% of its assets in the component securities of its underlying index. The index measures the performance of the S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC proprietary allocation model.
Read more on AOR →Northrop Grumman is a defense contractor that is diversified across short-cycle and long-cycle businesses. The firm's segments include aeronautics, mission systems, defense services, and space systems. The company's aerospace segment creates the fuselage for the massive F-35 program and produces various piloted and autonomous flight systems. Mission systems creates a variety of sensors and processors for defense hardware. The defense systems segment is a long-range missile manufacturer. Finally, the company's space systems segment produces various space structures, sensors, and satellites.
Read more on NOC →