Northrop Grumman Corporation vs United Airlines Holdings Inc — how do they compare? Northrop Grumman Corporation trades at $575.75 (market cap $82.10B), while United Airlines Holdings Inc trades at $126.9 (market cap $40.17B). The key difference: Northrop Grumman Corporation is far larger — about 2× United Airlines Holdings Inc's market cap, and Northrop Grumman Corporation pays a 1.63% dividend while United Airlines Holdings Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| NOC | UAL | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $82.10B | $40.17B |
Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
52-Week High | $768.02 | $136.11 |
52-Week Low | $496.02 | $85.21 |
Enterprise Value | $96.08B | $57.20B |
Dividend Yield | 1.63% | — |
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.
United Airlines (UAL) trades at $129.56, up 0.34% today, with a bullish technical outlook supported by moving averages and strong earnings beats in recent quarters. The stock shows robust fundamentals with revenue growth to $59.07B in 2025 and a net income margin of 5.56%, while valuation metrics like a P/E of 12.13 suggest potential undervaluation. Recent news highlights fleet innovation focus after merger attempts failed, with analyst consensus strongly bullish.
The outlook for UAL is positive, driven by sustained travel demand and cost management, but risks include fuel price volatility and competitive pressures. With 66% of analysts rating it Buy and a consensus price target of $167.73, the stock offers upside, though investors must monitor execution on fuel cost recapture and economic sensitivity.
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 →