Northrop Grumman Corporation vs Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund — how do they compare? Northrop Grumman Corporation trades at $575 (market cap $82.02B), while Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund trades at $118.5. The key difference: Northrop Grumman Corporation pays a 1.63% dividend while Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund pays none, and Consumer Discretionary 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 | XLY | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $82.02B | — |
Sector | Industrials | — |
52-Week High | $768.02 | $124.52 |
52-Week Low | $496.02 | $105.64 |
Enterprise Value | $96.00B | — |
Dividend Yield | 1.63% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Northrop Grumman (NOC) trades at $574.74, down slightly by 0.17% on the day, with a bullish technical outlook and strong fundamentals. The stock has consistently beaten earnings estimates, with Q2 2026 EPS of $7.68 exceeding expectations, and maintains robust profitability with a 10.48% net income margin. Recent news highlights a record $105 billion backlog and a $3 billion missile-interceptor agreement, signaling strong future revenue visibility.
The outlook for NOC is positive, supported by defense spending tailwinds and strategic contracts, though risks include margin pressures from specific programs and geopolitical uncertainties. Analyst consensus is bullish with a $598.57 price target, indicating potential upside from current levels.
XLY trades at $117.89, down 1.13% on the day, with a bullish technical signal driven by moving averages. Analyst consensus is unanimously positive, with a 100% buy rating. Recent news highlights consumer discretionary as a potential dark horse, with spending shifting toward value and convenience. The ETF offers exposure to resilient consumer trends, though inflation and sentiment remain headwinds.
The outlook for XLY is supported by strong technical momentum and optimistic analyst coverage, but risks include inflation pressures and weak consumer confidence. Upside depends on sustained discretionary spending and broader economic stability. Investors should weigh the ETF's liquidity and sector positioning against macroeconomic uncertainties.
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 securities of companies from the following industries: retail; hotels, restaurants and leisure; textiles, apparel and luxury goods; household durables; automobiles; auto components; distributors; leisure products; and diversified consumer services. It is non-diversified.
Read more on XLY →