Northrop Grumman Corporation vs State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF — how do they compare? Northrop Grumman Corporation trades at $577.5 (market cap $81.78B), while State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF trades at $44.61. The key difference: Northrop Grumman Corporation pays a 1.63% dividend while State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF pays none, and State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF is trading nearer its 52-week high, Northrop Grumman Corporation nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| NOC | XLRE | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $81.78B | — |
Sector | Industrials | Sector/Thematic |
52-Week High | $768.02 | $46.01 |
52-Week Low | $496.02 | $40.01 |
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.
XLRE (Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF) trades at $44.48, up 0.18% with a bearish technical signal. The ETF shows resilience amid inflation pressures, with real estate assets gaining attention as potential safe havens. Recent news highlights REITs staging a comeback in 2026, outperforming broad equities despite interest rate volatility. Technical indicators show mixed signals with RSI at oversold levels but moving averages and ADX suggesting bearish momentum.
The outlook for XLRE remains cautiously optimistic with real estate fundamentals improving despite macro challenges. Key opportunities include diversification benefits and income generation through dividends, while risks center on interest rate sensitivity and inflation persistence. The sector shows signs of recovery with same-store NOI growth holding steady, though valuation metrics remain limited for this ETF structure.
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 →XLRE tracks the Real Estate Select Sector Index, providing exposure to S&P 500 real estate companies. It focuses on equity REITs across residential, industrial, and healthcare sub-sectors, with top holdings like Welltower, Prologis, and American Tower.
Read more on XLRE →