Northrop Grumman Corporation vs Verizon Communications Inc — how do they compare? Northrop Grumman Corporation trades at $573.53 (market cap $81.78B), while Verizon Communications Inc trades at $46.76 (market cap $196.40B). 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 (5.99%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| NOC | VZ | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $81.78B | $196.40B |
Sector | Industrials | Media |
52-Week High | $768.02 | $51.38 |
52-Week Low | $496.02 | $38.40 |
Enterprise Value | $95.77B | $383.10B |
Dividend Yield | 1.63% | 5.99% |
Volume | — | 22,584,735 |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Northrop Grumman (NOC) trades at $577.89, up 1.1% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and a record $105 billion backlog supporting fundamentals. Recent Q2 2026 earnings beat expectations, with sales growth of 5% and raised full-year guidance (Seeking Alpha, 2026-07-23). Valuation ratios like P/E of 18.3 and ROE of 26.96% reflect strong profitability, though RSI levels indicate overbought conditions.
The outlook is positive due to defense spending tailwinds and strategic contracts, but risks include margin pressure from specific programs and geopolitical volatility. Analysts maintain a buy consensus with a $598.57 price target, suggesting modest upside from current levels.
Verizon (VZ) trades at $47.03, down 0.06% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and a consensus analyst price target of $49.69. Recent quarterly earnings have consistently beaten expectations, with Q2 2026 EPS of $1.30 surpassing the $1.27 estimate. The company maintains strong cash flow from operations at $37.14 billion in 2025 and a healthy dividend yield, supported by a $0.71 per share payout scheduled for August 2026.
VZ presents a value opportunity with a low P/E of 12.31 and stable revenue around $138 billion, though competitive pressures from new entrants like SpaceX's Starlink and high debt levels pose risks. Analyst sentiment is mixed with 36.7% buy ratings, but fundamentals suggest resilience for income-focused investors seeking telecom exposure.
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 →