Noble Corporation plc vs Northrop Grumman Corporation — how do they compare? Noble Corporation plc trades at $45.83 (market cap $7.33B), while Northrop Grumman Corporation trades at $516.8 (market cap $73.16B). The key difference: Northrop Grumman Corporation is far larger — about 10× Noble Corporation plc's market cap, and Noble Corporation plc pays the higher dividend (4.36%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| NE | NOC | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $7.33B | $73.16B |
Sector | Technology | Industrials |
52-Week High | $54.37 | $768.02 |
52-Week Low | $26.70 | $496.02 |
Enterprise Value | $8.76B | $87.14B |
Dividend Yield | 4.36% | 1.92% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Noble Corporation (NE) trades at $45.89, up 0.61% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and a consensus analyst price target of $46.00. Recent earnings show mixed quarterly results, with a Q1 2026 beat but Q2 and Q4 2025 misses, while annual revenue declined to $3.1 billion in 2026 from $3.3 billion in 2025, and net income fell to $150 million. The company maintains positive cash flow from operations and announced a $0.50 dividend payable in September 2026.
Outlook is cautious due to earnings volatility and revenue contraction, offset by strong cash generation and analyst support. Key risks include ongoing legal investigations and competitive pressures in the offshore drilling sector. The stock presents a balanced opportunity with moderate upside to the price target, but investors should monitor earnings consistency and legal developments.
Northrop Grumman (NOC) trades at $518.58, up 0.7% with strong earnings beats in recent quarters. Technical indicators show a bearish trend with oversold RSI signals, while fundamentals remain solid with 10.48% net margin and 26.96% ROE. The company maintains a record $105 billion backlog and raised guidance after strong Q2 results, supported by rising defense spending globally.
NOC presents a compelling value with a 16.37 P/E below industry averages and a $618.43 consensus price target implying 19% upside. Risks include execution on massive contracts and defense budget volatility, but analyst sentiment is strongly bullish with 57% buy ratings. The stock offers defensive growth exposure amid geopolitical tensions.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Noble Corporation plc is a leading offshore drilling contractor for the oil and gas industry. The company owns and operates a high-specification fleet of mobile offshore drilling units, including drillships and semi-submersibles, that are used for exploration and production activities in deepwater and harsh environments worldwide. Noble focuses on providing safe, efficient, and reliable drilling services to major and independent oil and gas companies globally.
Read more on NE →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 →