Northrop Grumman Corporation vs Wendys Co — how do they compare? Northrop Grumman Corporation trades at $573.91 (market cap $81.78B), while Wendys Co trades at $8.68 (market cap $1.44B). The key difference: Northrop Grumman Corporation is far larger — about 56.8× Wendys Co's market cap, and Wendys Co pays the higher dividend (3.71%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| NOC | WEN | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $81.78B | $1.44B |
Sector | Industrials | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $768.02 | $10.68 |
52-Week Low | $496.02 | $6.17 |
Enterprise Value | $95.77B | $5.17B |
Dividend Yield | 1.63% | 3.71% |
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.
Wendy's stock (WEN) trades at $7.30, down 5.07% amid significant operational challenges. The company faces declining U.S. traffic, a 50% dividend cut, and loss of its position as America's second-largest burger chain to Burger King. Despite beating Q2 2026 EPS estimates ($0.18 vs. $0.16 expected), revenue trends remain weak with profit margins contracting from 7.58% in 2025 to 5.72% projected for 2026. Technical indicators show bearish momentum with key support at $7.00.
The outlook remains challenging as new CEO Bob Wright implements a turnaround strategy. While valuation appears reasonable (P/E 11.44, P/S 0.65), execution risks are elevated given competitive pressures and $2.66 billion debt load. Analyst sentiment is mixed with 62.75% hold ratings, reflecting uncertainty about the company's ability to regain market share and improve franchisee economics.
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 →The Wendy's Company is the second-largest burger quick-service restaurant, or QSR, chain in the United States by systemwide sales, with $11.1 billion in 2021, narrowly edging Burger King ($10.3 billion) and clocking in well behind wide-moat McDonald's ($45.7 billion). After divestitures of Tim Hortons (2006) and Arby's (2011), the firm manages just the burger banner, generating sales across a footprint that spans almost 7,000 total units in 30 countries. Wendy's generates revenue from the sale of hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, salads, and fries throughout its company-owned footprint, through franchise royalty and marketing fund payments remitted by its franchisees, which account for 94% of stores, and through franchise flipping and advisory fees.
Read more on WEN →