Northrop Grumman Corporation vs Vanguard Growth Index Fund ETF — how do they compare? Northrop Grumman Corporation trades at $575.75 (market cap $81.78B), while Vanguard Growth Index Fund ETF trades at $88.89. The key difference: Northrop Grumman Corporation pays a 1.63% dividend while Vanguard Growth Index Fund ETF pays none, and Vanguard Growth Index Fund ETF is trading nearer its 52-week high, Northrop Grumman Corporation nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| NOC | VUG | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $81.78B | — |
Sector | Industrials | Sector/Thematic |
52-Week High | $768.02 | $90.29 |
52-Week Low | $496.02 | $70.00 |
Enterprise Value | $95.77B | — |
Dividend Yield | 1.63% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Northrop Grumman (NOC) trades at $577.11, down 0.13% on the day, with a bullish technical trend supported by moving averages despite overbought RSI signals. The company reported strong Q2 2026 earnings, beating EPS estimates with a record $105 billion backlog, driven by defense contracts like the Sentinel program. Fundamentals show solid profitability with a 10.48% net income margin and 26.96% ROE, though valuation ratios like P/E of 18.3 are moderate. Recent news highlights a $3 billion missile-interceptor agreement, reinforcing growth prospects.
Outlook remains positive with analyst consensus favoring Buy (57% of ratings) and a $598.57 price target, implying ~4% upside. Key opportunities include sustained defense spending and backlog execution, while risks involve margin pressures from specific programs and geopolitical dependencies. The stock's proximity to its 52-week high suggests cautious optimism amid robust operational performance.
VUG trades at $88.94, down 0.27% on the day, with a bullish technical signal driven by moving averages. The ETF shows strong institutional accumulation, with multiple firms increasing holdings by over 500% in Q2 2026. RSI levels above 70 indicate potential overbought conditions, while support sits near $88 and resistance at $90.
The outlook remains positive given institutional confidence and growth ETF appeal, but high RSI suggests near-term consolidation risk. Investors face volatility from market sentiment shifts, though long-term growth exposure aligns with historical outperformance versus the S&P 500.
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 →VUG is an index-based ETF that tracks the CRSP US Large Cap Growth Index, providing concentrated exposure to the largest and fastest-growing companies in the United States. It focuses on stocks with high growth potential across tech, communication, and consumer sectors, serving as a low-cost, high-conviction core holding for long-term capital appreciation.
Read more on VUG →