Northrop Grumman Corporation vs United Airlines Holdings Inc — how do they compare? Northrop Grumman Corporation trades at $516.8 (market cap $73.16B), while United Airlines Holdings Inc trades at $107.56 (market cap $35.13B). The key difference: Northrop Grumman Corporation is far larger — about 2.1× United Airlines Holdings Inc's market cap, and Northrop Grumman Corporation pays a 1.92% dividend while United Airlines Holdings Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| NOC | UAL | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $73.16B | $35.13B |
Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
52-Week High | $768.02 | $136.11 |
52-Week Low | $496.02 | $85.21 |
Enterprise Value | $87.14B | $52.16B |
Dividend Yield | 1.92% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Northrop Grumman (NOC) trades at $518.58, up 0.7% with strong earnings beats in recent quarters. Technical indicators show a bearish trend with oversold RSI signals, while fundamentals remain solid with 10.48% net margin and 26.96% ROE. The company maintains a record $105 billion backlog and raised guidance after strong Q2 results, supported by rising defense spending globally.
NOC presents a compelling value with a 16.37 P/E below industry averages and a $618.43 consensus price target implying 19% upside. Risks include execution on massive contracts and defense budget volatility, but analyst sentiment is strongly bullish with 57% buy ratings. The stock offers defensive growth exposure amid geopolitical tensions.
United Airlines (UAL) trades at $108.24, down 2.82% today, with a bearish technical signal but strong fundamentals including a P/E of 10.13 and net income margin of 5.56%. The company has beaten EPS estimates for three consecutive quarters and announced its largest international expansion, adding 10 new routes for 2027. Cash flow trends show volatility, with 2025 net cash flow negative at -$2.86 billion but projected to turn positive in 2026.
The outlook is mixed: analyst consensus is strongly bullish with a $168.96 price target, but high jet fuel costs and geopolitical risks pose headwinds. Earnings growth and international expansion are key catalysts, while debt levels and operational efficiency remain areas to watch for sustained shareholder value.
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 →United Airlines is a major U.S. network carrier. United's hubs include San Francisco, Chicago, Houston, Denver, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, and Washington, D.C. United operates a hub-and-spoke system that is more focused on international travel than legacy peers.
Read more on UAL →