Northrop Grumman Corporation vs S&P Global Inc — how do they compare? Northrop Grumman Corporation trades at $575 (market cap $82.10B), while S&P Global Inc trades at $408.97 (market cap $121.15B). The key difference: S&P Global Inc 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 | SPGI | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $82.10B | $121.15B |
Sector | Industrials | Financials |
52-Week High | $768.02 | $534.79 |
52-Week Low | $496.02 | $370.42 |
Enterprise Value | $96.08B | $132.63B |
Dividend Yield | 1.63% | 0.94% |
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.
S&P Global (SPGI) trades at $408.19, up 0.73% today, with strong analyst support (85.7% buy ratings) and a $523.20 consensus price target suggesting 28% upside. Recent Q2 2026 earnings beat expectations at $4.83 EPS, continuing a trend of profitability with 30.54% net margins. Technical indicators show bearish momentum near key support at $404, while fundamentals reveal robust revenue growth to $15.34B in 2025 and expanding cash flow.
The stock presents a compelling long-term opportunity given its dominant market position in ratings and indices, though near-term technical weakness and competitive pressures pose risks. Earnings consistency and strategic initiatives in AI and data analytics support upside potential, but investors should monitor debt levels increasing to 23.29% of assets.
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 →S&P Global provides data and benchmarks to capital and commodity market participants. In 2021 and excluding IHS Markit, S&P Ratings was over 45% of the firm's revenue and over 55% of the firm's operating income. S&P Ratings is the largest credit rating agency in the world. The firm's other segments include Market Intelligence, Indices, and Platts. Market Intelligence provides desktop tools and other data solutions to investment banks, corporations, and other entities. Indices provides benchmarks for financial markets and is monetized through subscriptions, asset-based fees, and transaction-based royalties. Platts provides benchmarks to commodity markets, principally petroleum.
Read more on SPGI →