Duke Energy Corp vs Northrop Grumman Corporation — how do they compare? Duke Energy Corp trades at $123.09 (market cap $96.05B), while Northrop Grumman Corporation trades at $574 (market cap $81.78B). The key difference: Duke Energy Corp is the larger of the two by market cap, and Duke Energy Corp pays the higher dividend (3.52%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| DUK | NOC | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $96.05B | $81.78B |
Sector | Utilities | Industrials |
52-Week High | $133.46 | $768.02 |
52-Week Low | $113.99 | $496.02 |
Enterprise Value | $188.56B | $95.77B |
Dividend Yield | 3.52% | 1.63% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Duke Energy (DUK) trades at $121.19, down 2.93% on the day, with a bearish technical signal. The company reported strong Q2 2026 earnings of $1.43 per share, beating estimates, and maintains solid fundamentals with a 15.78% net income margin. Recent news highlights operational challenges from storms affecting customers but also strategic initiatives like a $35 million equity units offering and data center growth opportunities.
The outlook is mixed; fundamentals are robust with consistent earnings beats and a healthy dividend, but technical weakness and high debt levels pose risks. Analyst consensus is a 'Hold' with a $136.17 price target, suggesting cautious optimism for long-term investors amid near-term volatility.
Northrop Grumman (NOC) trades at $577.89, up 1.1% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and a record $105 billion backlog supporting fundamentals. Recent Q2 2026 earnings beat expectations, with sales growth of 5% and raised full-year guidance (Seeking Alpha, 2026-07-23). Valuation ratios like P/E of 18.3 and ROE of 26.96% reflect strong profitability, though RSI levels indicate overbought conditions.
The outlook is positive due to defense spending tailwinds and strategic contracts, but risks include margin pressure from specific programs and geopolitical volatility. Analysts maintain a buy consensus with a $598.57 price target, suggesting modest upside from current levels.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Duke Energy is one of the largest U.S. utilities, with regulated utilities in the Carolinas, Indiana, Florida, Ohio, and Kentucky that deliver electricity to nearly 8 million customers. Its natural gas utilities serve more than 1.5 million customers. Duke operates in three major segments: electric utilities and infrastructure
Read more on DUK →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 →