Northrop Grumman Corporation vs Packaging Corporation of America — how do they compare? Northrop Grumman Corporation trades at $516.5 (market cap $73.16B), while Packaging Corporation of America trades at $227.95 (market cap $20.67B). The key difference: Northrop Grumman Corporation is far larger — about 3.5× Packaging Corporation of America's market cap, and Packaging Corporation of America pays the higher dividend (2.59%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| NOC | PKG | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $73.16B | $20.67B |
Sector | Industrials | Technology |
52-Week High | $768.02 | $257.43 |
52-Week Low | $496.02 | $191.68 |
Enterprise Value | $87.14B | $24.48B |
Dividend Yield | 1.92% | 2.59% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
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.
Packaging Corporation of America (PKG) trades at $231.99, down 2.22% with bearish technical signals despite recent earnings beats. The stock shows mixed fundamentals with a P/E of 30.13 above industry averages, while profitability metrics indicate solid ROE of 14.79% amid margin pressures. Recent news highlights dividend declarations and CEO participation in industry conferences, though cash flow trends show negative net flows driven by significant capital investments.
PKG presents a cautious outlook with analyst consensus leaning hold (57.69%) despite a $272.83 price target suggesting 17.6% upside. Investment appeal hinges on execution amid cost headwinds, while risks include margin compression and competitive pressures. The technical setup near support at $230 requires monitoring for potential breakdown or reversal signals.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
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 →Packaging Corporation of America is a leading producer of containerboard and corrugated packaging products in North America. The company also produces white papers, which include printing and writing papers. PKG operates as an integrated manufacturer, with a strong focus on high-quality and sustainable packaging solutions for e-commerce, food and beverage, and other industrial and consumer markets.
Read more on PKG →