Northrop Grumman Corporation vs D Wave Quantum Inc — how do they compare? Northrop Grumman Corporation trades at $573.24 (market cap $81.78B), while D Wave Quantum Inc trades at $20.33 (market cap $7.53B). The key difference: Northrop Grumman Corporation is far larger — about 10.9× D Wave Quantum Inc's market cap, and Northrop Grumman Corporation pays a 1.63% dividend while D Wave Quantum Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| NOC | QBTS | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $81.78B | $7.53B |
Sector | Industrials | Technology |
52-Week High | $768.02 | $44.78 |
52-Week Low | $496.02 | $12.98 |
Enterprise Value | $95.77B | $7.04B |
Dividend Yield | 1.63% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Northrop Grumman (NOC) trades at $577.89, up 1.1% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and a record $105 billion backlog supporting fundamentals. Recent Q2 2026 earnings beat expectations, with sales growth of 5% and raised full-year guidance (Seeking Alpha, 2026-07-23). Valuation ratios like P/E of 18.3 and ROE of 26.96% reflect strong profitability, though RSI levels indicate overbought conditions.
The outlook is positive due to defense spending tailwinds and strategic contracts, but risks include margin pressure from specific programs and geopolitical volatility. Analysts maintain a buy consensus with a $598.57 price target, suggesting modest upside from current levels.
QBTS trades at $20.55, up 1.78% today, with a bearish technical signal despite 100% analyst buy ratings. The stock shows extreme valuation with a P/S of 583.84 and negative profitability, including a net income margin of -2,001.59% for 2026. Recent Q2 2026 earnings missed revenue and EPS estimates, though bookings surged 1,120%, highlighting growth potential amid financial strain. Cash flow trends indicate heavy investment outlays, with net cash flow turning negative in 2026.
Outlook remains speculative; the consensus price target of $38.29 offers significant upside, but high execution risks persist. Investors face volatility from unproven commercial scaling, reliance on financing, and competitive quantum computing pressures. The stock's appeal hinges on future revenue conversion from bookings, making it suitable for risk-tolerant investors betting on long-term quantum adoption.
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 →D-Wave Quantum Inc. is a global leader in the development and delivery of quantum computing systems, software, and services. The company specializes in annealing quantum computers designed to solve complex optimization problems across industries such as logistics, materials science, and financial modeling. D-Wave offers its technology through the cloud, allowing customers to build and run real-world quantum applications today, making it a key player in the commercialization of quantum computing.
Read more on QBTS →