Northrop Grumman Corporation vs Boston Beer Company Inc — how do they compare? Northrop Grumman Corporation trades at $480.72 (market cap $68.83B), while Boston Beer Company Inc trades at $170.51 (market cap $1.76B). The key difference: Northrop Grumman Corporation is far larger — about 39.1× Boston Beer Company Inc's market cap, and Northrop Grumman Corporation pays a 2.04% dividend while Boston Beer Company Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold Northrop Grumman Corporation for 81 Days and Boston Beer Company Inc for 59 Days on average.
| NOC | SAM | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $68.83B | $1.76B |
Volume | 1,081,989 | 264,496 |
Sector | Industrials | Consumer Staples |
52-Week High | $768.02 | $260.05 |
52-Week Low | $473.46 | $161.08 |
Typical Hold Time | 81 Days | 59 Days |
Enterprise Value | $82.81B | $1.53B |
Dividend Yield | 2.04% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Northrop Grumman (NOC) trades at $480.72, up 1.53% on the day, with a bearish technical signal from moving averages but strong fundamentals including a P/E of 15.4 and ROE of 26.96%. Recent quarterly EPS beats and a consensus analyst price target of $600.62 suggest upside potential, though the stock faces headwinds from Boeing's recent $20 billion Navy fighter contract win (Seeking Alpha, 2026-10-02).
The outlook for NOC is supported by a record backlog and defense budget tailwinds, but competitive pressures and execution risks on key programs like the B-21 bomber pose challenges. Analyst sentiment is predominantly bullish with 54% buy ratings, indicating confidence in long-term growth despite near-term volatility.
Boston Beer Company (SAM) trades at $170.51, up 1.4% with a bullish technical signal despite recent earnings misses. The stock shows mixed fundamentals with a P/E of 22.66 and negative net margin of -3.64%, though operating cash flow remains strong at $270M. Recent news highlights brand innovation including new cocktail products and marketing partnerships, while analyst consensus leans heavily toward Hold (71.87%) with a $204.44 price target.
SAM faces headwinds from declining alcohol consumption and cost pressures, but brand investments and new product launches offer growth potential. The stock trades near support at $169 with upside to analyst targets, though execution risks and margin pressure require monitoring. Current valuation appears reasonable relative to historical levels.
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 →Boston Beer is a leader in U.S. high-end malt beverages and adjacent categories, with strong positions in craft beer, hard cider, and hard seltzer. The firm sells an array of flavor variants and package sizes, predominantly centered around four priority brands: Samuel Adams, Angry Orchard, Twisted Tea, and Truly Hard Seltzer. Its drinks are produced in both company-owned breweries as well as through third-party contract arrangements, and while the company primarily goes to market through independent wholesalers (as mandated by law), it operates a fairly large salesforce to induce demand across the value chain (distributors, retailers, and drinkers). The preponderance of revenue is generated domestically.
Read more on SAM →