HCA Health Inc vs Northrop Grumman Corporation — how do they compare? HCA Health Inc trades at $446.74 (market cap $96.35B), while Northrop Grumman Corporation trades at $480.03 (market cap $68.83B). The key difference: HCA Health Inc is the larger of the two by market cap, and Northrop Grumman Corporation pays the higher dividend (2.04%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold HCA Health Inc for 76 Days and Northrop Grumman Corporation for 81 Days on average.
| HCA | NOC | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $96.35B | $68.83B |
Volume | 1,079,453 | 1,081,989 |
Sector | Health | Industrials |
52-Week High | $545.13 | $768.02 |
52-Week Low | $361.32 | $473.46 |
Typical Hold Time | 76 Days | 81 Days |
Enterprise Value | $146.88B | $82.81B |
Dividend Yield | 0.7% | 2.04% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
HCA Healthcare (HCA) trades at $439.17, up 1.61% today, with a bullish technical signal and strong fundamental performance. Revenue grew to $75.6 billion in 2025, with net income reaching $6.78 billion, and the company has beaten EPS estimates for three consecutive quarters. Recent news includes an upcoming Q3 2026 earnings call and the completion of the College of Health Care Professions acquisition, highlighting operational expansion.
The outlook remains positive with a consensus price target of $461.12, though risks include ongoing legal investigations and high debt levels. Earnings growth and cost controls support upside potential, but investors should monitor regulatory developments and payer-mix pressures that could impact margins.
Northrop Grumman (NOC) trades at $479.00, up 1.17% with a bearish technical signal despite strong fundamentals. The stock shows consistent earnings beats with Q2 2026 EPS of $7.68 exceeding expectations, supported by a robust $104.7 billion backlog and expanding defense budgets. Recent news highlights both competitive pressures from Boeing's $20B fighter contract win and positive developments in F-35 radar demand.
The investment outlook remains positive with analyst consensus at $600.62 (25% upside) and 54% buy ratings, though technical indicators suggest near-term pressure. Key risks include contract competition and execution challenges on major programs like the B-21 bomber, while strong cash flow generation and dividend growth provide shareholder support.
Trailing returns across standard periods
What Pluang investors did over the last 30 days
Latest headlines on both assets
HCA Healthcare is a Nashville-based healthcare provider organization operating the largest collection of acute-care hospitals in the U.S. As of December 2021, the firm owned and operated 182 hospitals, 125 freestanding outpatient surgery centers, and a broad network of physician offices, urgent care clinics, and freestanding emergency rooms across nearly 20 states and a small foothold in England.
Read more on HCA →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 →