Northrop Grumman Corporation vs Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock — how do they compare? Northrop Grumman Corporation trades at $497.28 (market cap $68.39B), while Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock trades at $39.82 (market cap $11.15B). The key difference: Northrop Grumman Corporation is far larger — about 6.1× Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock's market cap, and Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock pays the higher dividend (3.67%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold Northrop Grumman Corporation for 82 Days and Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock for 0 Days on average.
| NOC | WTRG | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $68.39B | $11.15B |
Volume | 823,323 | 1,760,234 |
Sector | Industrials | Utilities |
52-Week High | $768.02 | $42.00 |
52-Week Low | $473.46 | $36.25 |
Typical Hold Time | 82 Days | 0 Days |
Enterprise Value | $82.37B | $19.66B |
Dividend Yield | 2.05% | 3.67% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Northrop Grumman (NOC) trades at $495.69, up 2.2% on the day, amid a bearish technical signal but strong fundamentals. The company has beaten earnings estimates for the last three quarters, with a net income margin of 10.48% and a P/E ratio of 15.3. Recent news highlights a $20 billion Navy fighter contract loss to Boeing, though the company maintains a record backlog and a dividend payout.
The outlook is mixed: analyst consensus is bullish with a $595.69 price target, but technical indicators and recent contract loss pose near-term risks. Long-term growth is supported by defense spending and key programs like the B-21 bomber, though competitive pressures and execution risks remain.
WTRG trades at $39.29, up 0.36% with neutral technical signals. The stock shows mixed earnings performance with two beats and one miss in recent quarters, while maintaining strong profitability margins (21.6% net income margin). Analyst consensus is bullish with a $44.50 price target, supported by ongoing acquisitions and pending merger developments with American Water.
The stock presents a stable utility investment with moderate growth potential through strategic acquisitions, though near-term earnings volatility and integration risks from the pending merger warrant caution. Current valuation at 20.15 P/E appears reasonable given the company's consistent cash flow generation and defensive sector positioning.
Trailing returns across standard periods
What Pluang investors did over the last 30 days
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 →Essential Utilities Inc. is a holding company for regulated water, wastewater, and natural gas utilities, operating under the Aqua and Peoples brands. It serves customers across Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, North Carolina, New Jersey, Indiana, Virginia, and Kentucky.
Read more on WTRG →