MasterCard Inc vs Northrop Grumman Corporation — how do they compare? MasterCard Inc trades at $547 (market cap $483.71B), while Northrop Grumman Corporation trades at $524 (market cap $74.42B). The key difference: MasterCard Inc is far larger — about 6.5× Northrop Grumman Corporation's market cap, and Northrop Grumman Corporation pays the higher dividend (1.79%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| MA | NOC | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $483.71B | $74.42B |
Volume | 4,635,698 | — |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Industrials |
52-Week High | $598.96 | $768.02 |
52-Week Low | $471.55 | $496.02 |
Enterprise Value | $494.45B | $88.65B |
Dividend Yield | 0.64% | 1.79% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Mastercard (MA) trades at $539.26, down 0.8% on the day, with strong technical momentum and bullish analyst sentiment. The stock demonstrates robust fundamentals with consistent earnings beats, including Q1 2026 EPS of $4.60 beating expectations of $4.41. Revenue growth accelerated to $32.79B in 2025 with impressive 45.88% net margins. Recent institutional buying activity and a $0.87 dividend declaration for August 2026 reflect confidence in the company's financial health.
Outlook remains positive with 79% analyst buy ratings and $634.27 consensus price target representing 18% upside. Key opportunities include expanding digital payment adoption and AI integration in ASEAN markets. Risks include payment disruption from stablecoins and competitive threats. The stock trades at premium valuations (P/E 31.68) but justifies this with superior profitability (ROE 232.56%) and consistent execution.
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
Mastercard Incorporated provides financial transaction processing services. The Company offers payment processing services for credit and debit cards, electronic cash, automated teller machines, and travelers checks. Mastercard serves customers worldwide.
Read more on MA →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 →