Northrop Grumman Corporation vs Rockwell Automation — how do they compare? Northrop Grumman Corporation trades at $580 (market cap $82.10B), while Rockwell Automation trades at $448.4 (market cap $48.33B). The key difference: Northrop Grumman Corporation is the larger of the two by market cap, and Northrop Grumman Corporation pays the higher dividend (1.63%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| NOC | ROK | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $82.10B | $48.33B |
Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
52-Week High | $768.02 | $495.08 |
52-Week Low | $496.02 | $333.75 |
Enterprise Value | $96.08B | $51.46B |
Dividend Yield | 1.63% | 1.27% |
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.
Rockwell Automation (ROK) trades at $441.04, down 0.17% on the day, with a bearish technical signal despite recent earnings beats. The stock shows strong profitability with a 49.09% gross margin and 13.38% net income margin, but elevated valuation ratios like a P/E of 41.3 suggest premium pricing. Q3 2026 results exceeded expectations, driven by organic sales growth and margin expansion, prompting raised full-year guidance.
The outlook is mixed: analyst consensus leans bullish with a $480.25 price target (30% buy ratings), but technical weakness and high valuation pose near-term risks. Key catalysts include sustained automation demand and cost management, while inflation and competitive pressures remain headwinds for shareholder returns.
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 →Rockwell Automation is a pure-play automation competitor that is the successor entity to Rockwell International, which spun off its former Rockwell Collins avionics segment in 2001. As of fiscal 2021, the firm operates through three segments--intelligent devices, software and control, and lifecycle services. Intelligent devices contains its drives, sensors, and industrial components, software and control contains its information and network and security software, while lifecycle services contains its consulting and maintenance services as well as its Sensia JV with Schlumberger.
Read more on ROK →