Northrop Grumman Corporation vs Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund — how do they compare? Northrop Grumman Corporation trades at $578.3 (market cap $81.78B), while Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund trades at $168.56. The key difference: Northrop Grumman Corporation pays a 1.63% dividend while Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund pays none, and Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund is trading nearer its 52-week high, Northrop Grumman Corporation nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| NOC | XLV | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $81.78B | — |
Sector | Industrials | — |
52-Week High | $768.02 | $168.44 |
52-Week Low | $496.02 | $131.16 |
Enterprise Value | $95.77B | — |
Dividend Yield | 1.63% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Northrop Grumman (NOC) trades at $577.12, down 0.13% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages but overbought RSI readings. The company reported strong Q2 2026 earnings, beating estimates with EPS of $7.68, and raised full-year guidance, supported by a record $105 billion backlog. Revenue growth is steady, with 2026 projected at $42.9 billion, and profitability remains solid with a net income margin of 10.48%.
The outlook is positive, driven by strategic contracts like the $7.6 billion Sentinel program and defense spending tailwinds. Risks include margin pressures from specific programs and geopolitical uncertainties. Analysts are bullish with a consensus price target of $598.57, suggesting upside potential from current levels.
XLV, the Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF, trades at $167.93, down 0.3% on the day, with a bullish technical signal driven by moving averages. The ETF offers broad healthcare exposure with a low expense ratio of 0.08% and a trailing dividend yield of 1.6%, positioning it as a cost-effective defensive play amid market volatility. Recent news highlights strong sector inflows and defensive demand, with earnings from key holdings like UnitedHealth showing resilience despite Medicaid pressures.
The outlook for XLV is positive, supported by its defensive characteristics and institutional interest, though risks include regulatory pressures and sector-specific volatility. Investors may find value in its diversification and steady performance, but should monitor healthcare policy developments and earnings trends for sustained growth.
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 →In seeking to track the performance of the index, the fund employs a replication strategy. It generally invests substantially all, but at least 95%, of its total assets in the securities comprising the index. The index includes companies from the following industries: pharmaceuticals; health care equipment & supplies; health care providers & services; biotechnology; life sciences tools & services; and health care technology. The fund is non-diversified.
Read more on XLV →