Northrop Grumman Corporation vs Philip Morris International Inc. — how do they compare? Northrop Grumman Corporation trades at $516.5 (market cap $73.16B), while Philip Morris International Inc. trades at $185.71 (market cap $287.92B). The key difference: Philip Morris International Inc. is far larger — about 3.9× Northrop Grumman Corporation's market cap, and Philip Morris International Inc. pays the higher dividend (3.18%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| NOC | PM | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $73.16B | $287.92B |
Sector | Industrials | Consumer Staples |
52-Week High | $768.02 | $200.17 |
52-Week Low | $496.02 | $144.33 |
Enterprise Value | $87.14B | $331.04B |
Dividend Yield | 1.92% | 3.18% |
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.
Philip Morris International (PM) trades at $185.71, up 1.74% with a bearish technical signal. Recent earnings show beats in Q1 and Q2 2026, but the company cut its 2026 profit forecast due to a $500 million impairment and cost pressures. Fundamentals remain strong with a 25.56% net margin and $11.35B net income in 2025, though high debt and illicit market growth in Europe pose risks. Analyst consensus is bullish with a $211.17 price target.
The stock offers a solid dividend and brand strength via IQOS, but faces headwinds from currency swings, energy costs, and regulatory challenges. Upside depends on execution amid margin pressure, with the current price near the low end of analyst targets suggesting cautious optimism for long-term investors.
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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