Northrop Grumman Corporation vs Verizon Communications Inc — how do they compare? Northrop Grumman Corporation trades at $514.98 (market cap $74.42B), while Verizon Communications Inc trades at $43.86 (market cap $181.64B). The key difference: Verizon Communications Inc is far larger — about 2.4× Northrop Grumman Corporation's market cap, and Verizon Communications Inc pays the higher dividend (6.51%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| NOC | VZ | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $74.42B | $181.64B |
Sector | Industrials | Media |
52-Week High | $768.02 | $51.38 |
52-Week Low | $496.02 | $38.40 |
Enterprise Value | $88.65B | $369.14B |
Dividend Yield | 1.79% | 6.51% |
Volume | — | 22,584,735 |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Northrop Grumman (NOC) trades at $512.29, down 1.78% amid a bearish technical signal despite strong Q2 2026 earnings that beat estimates and a record $105 billion backlog. The stock faces margin pressures but maintains solid fundamentals with a P/E of 16.43 and ROE of 28.51%. Recent news highlights raised 2026 guidance driven by robust defense demand, though the stock's decline reflects investor concerns over cost challenges.
The outlook is mixed: bullish fundamentals and analyst consensus ($655 price target) support long-term growth, but near-term risks include execution on margin targets and technical bearishness. Investment appeal hinges on defense budget tailwinds offsetting operational headwinds.
Verizon (VZ) trades at $43.78, up 0.44% today, with a bearish technical signal but strong fundamentals including a P/E of 10.61 and consistent earnings beats. Recent news highlights a restructuring involving 3,000 job cuts and the sale of 274 stores to franchisees, aimed at boosting efficiency ahead of Q2 2026 earnings. Cash flow improved in 2025 with net cash flow of $14.9 billion, supporting its 6.5% dividend yield.
Outlook: Attractive for income investors due to stable cash flows and high dividend, but faces risks from 5G competition and margin pressure. Analyst consensus price target is $47.83, suggesting upside potential if execution improves. Key risks include debt levels and industry discounts threatening profitability.
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 →Verizon Communications Inc. is an integrated telecommunications company that provides wire line voice and data services, wireless services, Internet services, and published directory information. The Company also provides network services for the federal government including business phone lines, data services, telecommunications equipment, and payphones.
Read more on VZ →