Northrop Grumman Corporation vs Philip Morris International Inc. — how do they compare? Northrop Grumman Corporation trades at $577.99 (market cap $82.10B), while Philip Morris International Inc. trades at $186.71 (market cap $289.90B). The key difference: Philip Morris International Inc. is far larger — about 3.5× Northrop Grumman Corporation's market cap, and Philip Morris International Inc. pays the higher dividend (3.16%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| NOC | PM | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $82.10B | $289.90B |
Sector | Industrials | Consumer Staples |
52-Week High | $768.02 | $200.17 |
52-Week Low | $496.02 | $144.33 |
Enterprise Value | $96.08B | $333.02B |
Dividend Yield | 1.63% | 3.16% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Northrop Grumman (NOC) trades at $571.58, up 0.68% on the day, with a bullish technical signal driven by moving averages despite overbought RSI readings. The company reported strong Q2 2026 earnings, beating EPS estimates with $7.68 actual versus $6.82 expected, and raised full-year guidance amid a record $105 billion backlog. Fundamentals show robust profitability with a 10.48% net income margin and 26.96% ROE, while valuation metrics like a P/E of 18.17 appear reasonable relative to growth.
Outlook remains positive given defense spending tailwinds and contract wins like the $7.6 billion Sentinel program, though margin pressures and high debt levels pose risks. Analysts are bullish with a $598.57 consensus target, implying ~5% upside from current levels, supported by 20 buy ratings versus 1 sell.
Philip Morris International (PM) trades at $186.22, down 1.77% with mixed technical signals. The company reported strong Q1 and Q2 2026 earnings beats but faces margin pressure from rising costs. Revenue grew to $40.65B in 2025 with a robust 25.56% net income margin. Analyst consensus remains bullish with a $211.17 price target, though recent news highlights challenges including a $500M impairment charge and increased illicit cigarette trade in Europe.
PM offers solid fundamentals with high profitability and dividend yield, but near-term headwinds from cost inflation and regulatory risks warrant caution. The stock's valuation at 25.54x P/E is reasonable given earnings growth potential, making it attractive for long-term investors despite current volatility.
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 →Philip Morris International is an international tobacco company with a product portfolio primarily consisting of cigarettes and reduced-risk products, including heat-not-burn, vapor and oral nicotine products, which are sold in markets outside the United States. The company diversified away from nicotine products with the acquisition of Vectura, a provider of innovative inhaled drug delivery solutions, in 2021.
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