Northrop Grumman Corporation vs Tidewater Inc — how do they compare? Northrop Grumman Corporation trades at $579.45 (market cap $81.78B), while Tidewater Inc trades at $91.85 (market cap $4.54B). The key difference: Northrop Grumman Corporation is far larger — about 18× Tidewater Inc's market cap, and Northrop Grumman Corporation pays a 1.63% dividend while Tidewater Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| NOC | TDW | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $81.78B | $4.54B |
Sector | Industrials | Utilities |
52-Week High | $768.02 | $91.20 |
52-Week Low | $496.02 | $47.29 |
Enterprise Value | $95.77B | $4.58B |
Dividend Yield | 1.63% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Northrop Grumman (NOC) trades at $577.12, down 0.13% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages but overbought RSI readings. The company reported strong Q2 2026 earnings, beating estimates with EPS of $7.68, and raised full-year guidance, supported by a record $105 billion backlog. Revenue growth is steady, with 2026 projected at $42.9 billion, and profitability remains solid with a net income margin of 10.48%.
The outlook is positive, driven by strategic contracts like the $7.6 billion Sentinel program and defense spending tailwinds. Risks include margin pressures from specific programs and geopolitical uncertainties. Analysts are bullish with a consensus price target of $598.57, suggesting upside potential from current levels.
Tidewater (TDW) trades at $90.20, up 0.64% today, with a bullish technical signal driven by moving averages and ADX. Recent Q2 2026 earnings beat estimates (EPS $0.43 vs. $0.32 expected, Zacks Investment Research, 2026-08-03), though quarterly EPS has missed expectations in three of the last four quarters. The company maintains strong profitability with an 18.34% net margin and robust cash flow from operations of $379.11 million in 2025.
Outlook is mixed: bullish technicals and institutional interest support upside, but earnings misses and a high RSI near overbought levels pose risks. Analyst consensus leans hold (57.7%), with valuation metrics like P/E of 18.5 suggesting fair pricing. Key risks include operational costs from Middle East conflicts and revenue volatility.
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 →Tidewater is the leading global provider of offshore support vessels (OSVs) to the energy industry. With the world's largest fleet of platform supply vessels (PSVs) and anchor handling tugs (AHTS), it provides critical logistics and marine support for offshore oil, gas, and renewable energy projects. Following a period of massive strategic consolidation, Tidewater is now focused on maximizing day rates and free cash flow in a supply-constrained market, positioning itself as a primary beneficiary of the multi-year offshore upcycle.
Read more on TDW →