British American Tobacco PLC vs Northrop Grumman Corporation — how do they compare? British American Tobacco PLC trades at $56.92 (market cap $122.36B), while Northrop Grumman Corporation trades at $575.75 (market cap $81.78B). The key difference: British American Tobacco PLC is the larger of the two by market cap, and British American Tobacco PLC pays the higher dividend (5.88%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| BTI | NOC | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $122.36B | $81.78B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Industrials |
52-Week High | $66.70 | $768.02 |
52-Week Low | $50.39 | $496.02 |
Enterprise Value | $166.31B | $95.77B |
Dividend Yield | 5.88% | 1.63% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
BTI trades at $55.9, down 2.02% today, with a bearish technical signal overall despite bullish oscillators. The company reported Q2 2026 EPS of $2.25, beating expectations, and maintains strong profitability with a 24.99% net income margin. Recent news highlights its strategic tech partnership with ITC Infotech and workforce restructuring to cut costs.
Outlook is mixed: strong fundamentals and a 66.67% analyst buy rating support upside, but technical weakness and regulatory risks pose challenges. The stock offers value with a P/E of 14.48 and dividend yield, yet faces headwinds from declining combustibles and debt levels.
Northrop Grumman (NOC) trades at $577.11, down 0.13% on the day, with a bullish technical trend supported by moving averages despite overbought RSI signals. The company reported strong Q2 2026 earnings, beating EPS estimates with a record $105 billion backlog, driven by defense contracts like the Sentinel program. Fundamentals show solid profitability with a 10.48% net income margin and 26.96% ROE, though valuation ratios like P/E of 18.3 are moderate. Recent news highlights a $3 billion missile-interceptor agreement, reinforcing growth prospects.
Outlook remains positive with analyst consensus favoring Buy (57% of ratings) and a $598.57 price target, implying ~4% upside. Key opportunities include sustained defense spending and backlog execution, while risks involve margin pressures from specific programs and geopolitical dependencies. The stock's proximity to its 52-week high suggests cautious optimism amid robust operational performance.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Following the acquisition of Reynolds American, British American Tobacco is neck-and-neck with Philip Morris International to be the largest listed global tobacco company--slightly larger than PMI on net revenue, but slightly smaller on total tobacco volume. British American's Global Drive Brands are Dunhill, Kent, Pall Mall, Lucky Strike, and Rothmans, and it also owns Newport and Camel in the U.S. The firm also sells vapor e-cigarettes, including its Vype brand, heated tobacco, with Glo, as well as roll- your-own and smokeless tobacco products. The company holds 31% of ITC Limited, the leading Indian cigarette-maker.
Read more on BTI →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 →