Kimberly Clark Corp vs Northrop Grumman Corporation — how do they compare? Kimberly Clark Corp trades at $107.62 (market cap $36.01B), while Northrop Grumman Corporation trades at $512.42 (market cap $74.42B). The key difference: Northrop Grumman Corporation is far larger — about 2.1× Kimberly Clark Corp's market cap, and Kimberly Clark Corp pays the higher dividend (4.72%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| KMB | NOC | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $36.01B | $74.42B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Industrials |
52-Week High | $136.77 | $768.02 |
52-Week Low | $93.05 | $496.02 |
Enterprise Value | $42.55B | $88.65B |
Dividend Yield | 4.72% | 1.79% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Kimberly-Clark (KMB) trades at $108.43, up 0.07% on the day, with a neutral technical signal and bullish moving averages. The stock shows consistent earnings beats, with Q1 2026 EPS of $1.97 exceeding the $1.93 estimate. Revenue declined to $16.45B in 2025, but net income margin remains strong at 12.8%. Recent news highlights KMB's innovation strategy and its status as a Dividend King, with a 4.5% yield attracting income investors.
KMB offers stable income with a high dividend yield and solid fundamentals, but faces revenue pressure and competitive risks. Analyst consensus is a $115.33 price target with a hold-heavy rating. Key risks include consumer sentiment impacts and input cost inflation, while the pending Kenvue merger provides growth potential.
Northrop Grumman (NOC) trades at $524.14, up 0.49% with a bearish technical signal despite strong fundamentals. The company shows consistent earnings beats, with Q1 2026 EPS of $6.14 exceeding expectations of $6.06. Recent news highlights defense budget optimism and a $312.3M Navy contract for electronic warfare systems. Technical indicators show RSI at oversold levels near support at $518, while moving averages signal bearish momentum.
The investment outlook remains positive with analyst consensus at Buy (57% of 35 analysts) and a $655 price target representing 25% upside. Risks include execution challenges in defense programs and potential margin pressure. Strong cash flow generation and a $96B backlog support long-term growth, though near-term technical weakness may present entry opportunities for patient investors.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
With around half of sales from personal care and another third from tissue products, Kimberly-Clark sits as a leading manufacturer of tissue and hygiene realm. Its brand mix includes Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex, Depend, Kleenex, and Cottonelle. The firm also operates K-C Professional, which partners with businesses to provide safety and sanitary products for the workplace. Kimberly-Clark generates just over of half its sales in North America and more than 10% in Europe, with the rest primarily concentrated in Asia and Latin America.
Read more on KMB →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 →