Northrop Grumman's Competitiveness
A competitive positioning analysis and financial ratio benchmarking of Northrop Grumman (NOC) against its publicly traded competitors: sales growth, net income, profitability, valuation and market share, plus each peer's market capitalization, revenue, income and employees. Free below: the top 5 peers. Subscriber access adds the full competitor list and CSV downloads.
Key Findings: Northrop Grumman vs Its Competitors
- TTM: Trailing 12-month revenue of 43,591M vs 515,912M combined for its competitors (7.8% combined share).
- Trending: Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is accelerating (+2.1% annualized vs trailing 12 months), vs holding steady (-1.5%) for its tracked peer group.
- Growth: Northrop Grumman generated 6.7% revenue growth year over year in Q3 2026, vs 4.8% for its competitors combined.
- Profitability: Its 10.1% net margin compares with 7.2% for the peer group.
- Scale: Northrop Grumman ranks #3 of 56 companies by market capitalization in the Aerospace & Defense industry, holding 9.4% of industry market cap.
- Peer revenue share: Northrop Grumman accounted for 8.1% of combined revenue among its tracked peer group, up from 7.9% a year earlier.
- Peer differentiation: Revenue per employee of $5.81M compares with $0.47M for the peer group (12.3x).
- Structure: Northrop Grumman operates in the following segments: Aeronautics Systems, Mission Systems, Space Systems, Defense Systems.
Every figure above is sourced and cited in detail further down this page (Market Structure, Profitability & Cost Structure, Productivity vs Peers).
NOC Sales vs. its Competitors, Q3 2026
Northrop Grumman reported revenue growth of 6.71 % year on year in Q3 2026, above its competitors' combined revenue growth of 4.77 %.
With a net margin of 10.11 %, Northrop Grumman achieved higher profitability than its competitors (7.22 %).
Northrop Grumman generated 8.05 % of the combined sales of its peer group, up from 7.91 % a year earlier.
Northrop Grumman vs. its Competitors, Q3 2026
Revenue growth, year on year
Net income growth, year on year
Net margin
Revenue run-rate vs trailing 12 months
TTM net margin
TTM = trailing twelve months. Run-rate annualizes the latest quarter (×4) and compares it to TTM. In millions of $. High-Confidence Competitors are named as a competitor directly in Northrop Grumman reports; Similar-Size Competitors are the closest peers by market-cap rank within the same industry; Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors are the closest peers by combined revenue growth, operating margin and ROIC, all independent of the competitor list.
TTM revenue, latest-quarter run-rate and net income/margin benchmarked across Northrop Grumman and its 4 competitor groupings. Available under Commercial License.
| Entity | TTM Revenue | Rev Run-rate vs TTM |
|---|---|---|
| Northrop Grumman Corp | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Competitors combined | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| High-Confidence Competitors (10) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar-Size Competitors (4) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar Growth & Profitability (5) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
TTM revenue, run-rate and net margin benchmarking across Northrop Grumman's competitor groups requires a Commercial License.
For context: the Aerospace & Defense industry grew revenue 12.6% year over year, combined, vs 6.7% for Northrop Grumman. Northrop Grumman's share of combined industry revenue moved from 9.20% to 8.72%, a loss of 0.48 percentage points.
Northrop Grumman's Competitor Quality Breadth
Group definitions: see Methodology: Performance Group Definitions.
| Entity | Profitable | Expanding | Above Industry Growth | Distressed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northrop Grumman Corp | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Competitors combined (52) | ||||
| High-Confidence Competitors (31) | ||||
| Similar-Size Competitors (7) | ||||
| Similar Growth & Profitability (8) | 100.00 % (8 of 8) | 100.00 % (8 of 8) | 0.00 % (0 of 8) | 12.50 % (1 of 8) |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Altman Z-Score is not shown here: it is not populated in the underlying data for any company. Percentages are of companies in each group that report the relevant metric, not of the full group size.
NOC Stock Performance relative to its Competitors
NOC Stock Performance relative to High-Confidence Competitors
NOC Stock Performance relative to Similar-Size Competitors
NOC Stock Performance relative to Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors
5 Best-Performing Tracked Competitors, Trailing 12 Months
| # | Competitor | TTM Share Price Return | vs U.S.A. 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sifco Industries Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 2 | The Manitowoc Company Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 3 | Butler National Corp | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 4 | Cpi Aerostructures Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 5 | Viasat Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
TTM share price return and U.S.A. 500 outperformance for Northrop Grumman's best-performing competitors requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months.
Northrop Grumman's Comment on Competition and Industry Peers
Publicly Traded Peers of Northrop Grumman Corp
Revenue and income for trailing 12 months, in millions of $, except employees| Company | Market Cap | Revenues |
|---|---|---|
 Northrop Grumman Corp |
75,160.86 | 43,591.00 |
 Rtx Corporation |
271,362.63 | 95,987.00 |
 The Boeing Company |
138,589.33 | 94,913.00 |
 Lockheed Martin Corporation |
136,920.68 | 79,116.00 |
 Eaton Corporation Plc |
134,197.72 | 31,984.00 |
 General Dynamics Corporation |
100,594.25 | 56,520.00 |
| SUBTOTAL | 1,193,157.53 | 632,116.66 |
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Sources: see Methodology: Peer & Competitor Identification, Sourcing.
Updated on:
Focus of this report: publicly traded companies. Ten additional tables on Northrop Grumman Corp versus competitors, including market share analysis, are in the navigation menu under Competition. To download the tables, please subscribe.
Northrop Grumman's Competitors Named by the Company
Competitive relationships identified from Northrop Grumman reports and corroborating sources, each with a basis and confidence.| Competitor | Basis | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| L3harris Technologies Inc | Company report | 85% |
| The Boeing Company | Company report | 85% |
| Leidos Holdings Inc | Company report | 85% |
| General Dynamics | Company report | 85% |
| Kratos Defense and Security Solutions inc | Company report | 85% |
| Lockheed Martin | Company report | 85% |
| Intuitive Machines Inc | Company report | 85% |
| V2x Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Amentum Holdings Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Applied Energetics Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Aerovironment Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Frequency Electronics Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Gogo Inc | Company report | 85% |
| RTX | Company report | 85% |
| Cpi Aerostructures Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Voyager Technologies Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Castellum Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Bwx Technologies Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Skyworks Solutions Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Icf International Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Raytheon Technologies | Company report | 85% |
| Science applications International corporation | Company report | 85% |
| Rada Electronic Industries Ltd | Company report | 85% |
| Parsons Corporation | Company report | 85% |
| Air Industries Group | Company report | 85% |
| Cubic Corp | Company report | 85% |
| Telenav Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Telos Corporation | Company report | 85% |
| Red Cat Holdings Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Honeywell International Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Rockwell Collins Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Sypris Solutions Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Rtx Corporation | Company report | 85% |
| Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Viasat Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Leonardo Drs Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Textron Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Elbit Systems Ltd | Company report | 85% |
| Comtech Telecommunications Corp | Company report | 85% |
| Flir Systems Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corporation | Company report | 85% |
Company report basis, confidence, active dates and source counts for Northrop Grumman's named competitors require a Commercial License.
Methodology: see Methodology: Peer & Competitor Identification, Sourcing.
Northrop Grumman's Business Segment Mix vs Peers
Revenue by operating segment or division, as named and reported by each company. Segment names are the filer's own and are not standardized across companies. Do not assume a same-named or similarly-named segment is defined identically between two companies. Shares are of each company's own total revenue and are not required to sum to 100% (intersegment revenue, unallocated items).| Company | Largest Segment |
|---|---|
| Northrop Grumman Corp | Aeronautics Systems 32.14 % |
| Rtx Corporation | Pratt and Whitney 36.98 % |
| The Boeing Company | Commercial Airplanes 44.32 % |
| Lockheed Martin Corporation | Aeronautics 39.66 % |
| Eaton Corporation Plc | Electrical Americas 46.63 % |
| General Dynamics Corporation | Marine Systems 34.05 % |
Source: operating segment revenue as reported in each company's reports (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API, leaf-level reportable segments only (parent roll-up segments are excluded where sub-segments are separately disclosed).
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Northrop Grumman's Productivity vs Peers Comparison
Revenue and income per employee, trailing 12 months, in $; market cap in millions of $| Company | Market Cap | Revenue / Employee | Income / Employee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northrop Grumman Corp | 75,161 | 5,812,133 | 602,667 |
| Rtx Corporation | 271,363 | 533,261 | 48,344 |
| The Boeing Company | 138,589 | 521,500 | 42,137 |
| Lockheed Martin Corporation | 136,921 | 643,220 | 52,951 |
| Eaton Corporation Plc | 134,198 | 328,705 | 40,102 |
| General Dynamics Corporation | 100,594 | 483,077 | 39,803 |
| PEERS TOTAL | 1,117,997 | 473,289 | 27,753 |
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Northrop Grumman's Geographic Revenue Exposure vs Peers
Revenue by country/region as reported in each company's most recent report. Disclosure granularity varies by filer (some report by country, others by broad region) and is shown as disclosed.| Company | Largest Market |
|---|---|
| Northrop Grumman Corp | United States 86.67 % |
| Rtx Corporation | UNITED STATES 53.04 % |
| Lockheed Martin Corporation | United States 69.29 % |
| Elbit Systems Ltd | Israel 32.20 % |
| Leidos Holdings Inc | United States 91.34 % |
| Textron Inc | United States 70.17 % |
Source: revenue geography as reported in each company's reports (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API. Percentages are of that company's own total consolidated revenue for its most recent reported period.
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Northrop Grumman's Position in Industry Market Structure
Market-capitalization share and concentration across all 49 companies in Northrop Grumman's industry classification, broader than the peer set above. Market cap in millions of $.Northrop Grumman ranks #3 of 49 companies by market capitalization in its industry, holding 9.37 % of total industry market cap. The industry's Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is 946, indicating a unconcentrated market structure (see Methodology: Market Structure & Concentration).
| Rank | Company | Market Cap | Industry Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Boeing Company | 139,936 | 17.54 % |
| 2 | Lockheed Martin Corporation | 137,514 | 17.23 % |
| 3 | Northrop Grumman Corp | 74,810 | 9.37 % |
| 4 | Transdigm Group Incorporated | 69,849 | 8.75 % |
| 5 | Garmin Ltd | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 6 | L3harris Technologies Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 7 | Axon Enterprise Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 8 | Elbit Systems Ltd | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 9 | Rocket Lab Corp | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 10 | Teledyne Technologies Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
Market cap and industry share for the rest of Northrop Grumman's industry peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation) across CSIMarket's industry classification, market capitalization as of 2026-11-04.
Northrop Grumman's Same-Size Peers & Stock Performance
Peers chosen by closeness in market-cap rank within the same industry classification (not the named-competitor list above). Trailing 12-month total return, 3-month price momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio vs the broad U.S. market.| Rank | Company | Market Cap | TTM Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Boeing Company | 139,936 | -13.03 % |
| 2 | Lockheed Martin Corporation | 137,514 | 25.26 % |
| 3 | Northrop Grumman Corp | 74,810 | -7.97 % |
| 4 | Transdigm Group Incorporated | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 5 | Garmin Ltd | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 6 | L3harris Technologies Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 7 | Axon Enterprise Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 8 | Elbit Systems Ltd | 1,234 | 12.3% |
Market cap, return, momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio for the rest of Northrop Grumman's same-size peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation); returns and risk metrics as of 2026-11-04. Beta and Sharpe ratio are versus the broad U.S. equity market, not this industry.
Northrop Grumman's Profitability & Cost Structure
Trailing 12-month margins from SEC-filed financials. Operating margin is compared to the Aerospace & Defense industry median; gross margin, EBITDA margin and capital intensity are compared to the live industry average (63 companies). See the full Aerospace & Defense industry profitability benchmarks.| Metric | Company | Industry | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 27.24 % | 24.92 % (avg) | +2.3 pp |
| Operating Margin | 10.61 % | industry median | +0.4 pp |
| EBITDA Margin | 14.84 % | 1.57 % (avg) | +13.3 pp |
| Capital Intensity (Capex / Revenue) | 3.30 % | 6.71 % (avg) | -3.4 pp |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. SG&A and R&D as a share of revenue have limited coverage as this data is backfilled and appear only where reported. Higher capital intensity is not inherently negative; it reflects the industry's asset requirements.
Northrop Grumman's Valuation vs Competitive Position
Valuation multiples vs the Aerospace & Defense industry average (63 companies, excluding loss-making/negative-equity outliers), alongside returns on capital for context on whether a premium or discount lines up with measurably stronger or weaker returns. See the full Aerospace & Defense industry valuation benchmarks.| Metric | Company | Industry Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| P/E | 17.0x | 31.9x | -14.9x |
| EV / EBITDA | 13.7x | 19.8x | -6.1x |
| P/B | 4.4x | 5.4x | -1.1x |
| Return on Equity | 25.70 % | industry aggregate | -4.23 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 7.84 % | -0.09 % (avg) | 7.93 % |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. A valuation premium or discount is not, by itself, a judgment of over- or under-valuation. Compare it against the return and growth context shown elsewhere on this page.
Northrop Grumman's Multi-Year Financial Trajectory
Fiscal-year revenue growth, operating margin, return on invested capital and P/E, as reported in company reports.| Metric | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth | 16.63 % | 12.45 % | 8.74 % | -3.08 % | 2.62 % | 7.34 % | 4.44 % | 2.24 % |
| Operating Margin | 12.62 % | 11.73 % | 11.05 % | 15.84 % | 9.84 % | 6.46 % | 10.65 % | 10.75 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 10.10 % | 9.76 % | 9.16 % | 12.50 % | 7.46 % | 5.12 % | 8.81 % | 7.85 % |
| P/E | 15.7x | 27.1x | 15.9x | 8.6x | 16.2x | 34.7x | 17.8x | 20.0x |
Source: CSIMarket API, fiscal-year figures. P/E is this company's own historical ratio at each fiscal year end and can swing sharply around an earnings trough: that is real, not a data error.
Northrop Grumman's Strategic Group Map
Northrop Grumman is shown in red; its closest peers by combined growth, margin and ROIC are labeled. See Methodology: Strategic Group Map for how this chart is built.
Northrop Grumman's trailing-12-month revenue growth of 6.5% and operating margin of 10.6% compares with an average of 6.3% growth and 10.3% margin across its 8 closest peers by combined growth, margin and ROIC -- Northrop Grumman sits above that peer average on growth and above it on margin.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Extreme outlier values (from near-zero-revenue companies) are excluded from the plotted cloud but never from the highlighted company or its labeled peers.
Northrop Grumman's BCG Growth-Share Matrix
See Methodology: BCG Growth-Share Matrix for how relative share and growth are calculated and thresholded.
Northrop Grumman falls in the Question Mark quadrant: relative market share of 0.53x vs its largest competitor, in an industry growing revenue 13.6% (median, trailing 12 months).
Source: CSIMarket API (market-cap share and industry revenue growth). The 10% growth and 1.0x share lines are standard textbook thresholds, not derived from this industry's own distribution.
Northrop Grumman's Competitive Forces (Porter's Five Forces)
Only the forces this data can support honestly are shown; the other three are marked as such rather than guessed.| Force | Assessment | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Competitive Rivalry | High | Industry HHI of 946 (see Industry Market Structure & Concentration above) |
| Barriers to Entry | Lower than typical for the industry | Capital intensity (capex / revenue) of 3.30 % vs industry average 6.71 % (see Profitability & Cost Structure above) |
Note: see Methodology: Porter's Five Forces. Supplier power and buyer power are covered on Northrop Grumman's dedicated Suppliers and Customers pages, not here.
Northrop Grumman's Industry Attractiveness & Competitive Strength
See Methodology: GE/McKinsey Matrix for how the two axes are built.
Northrop Grumman falls in the Low attractiveness / Medium strength cell: Harvest.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Each axis score is a simple 1(low)/2(medium)/3(high) average across its three inputs -- a transparent, disclosed simplification, not a validated academic scoring model.
Northrop Grumman's SWOT
Every point below is a fixed rule applied to a metric already shown elsewhere on this page (Market Structure, Profitability, Valuation, Run-Rate, Stock Performance, Quality Breadth) not an independent strategic assessment. A blank quadrant means no rule was met, not that none apply.Strengths
- Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is accelerating (+2.1% annualized vs trailing 12 months).
Weaknesses
- Underperforming the U.S.A. 500 over the trailing 12 months.
Opportunities
- Industry revenue growing at a healthy 13.6% median pace.
- Trades at a lower P/E than the industry average (17.0x vs 31.9x) despite a higher return on invested capital -- a possible re-rating opportunity.
Threats
No rule matched.
Methodology: see Methodology: SWOT Analysis.
Northrop Grumman's Financial Strength vs Peers Comparison
Quick ratio, working capital, debt to equity and asset turnover, trailing 12 months| Company | Quick Ratio | Working Capital | Debt / Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northrop Grumman Corp | 0.23 | 1.16 | 0.85 |
| Rtx Corporation | 0.13 | 1.03 | 0.82 |
| The Boeing Company | 0.08 | 1.16 | 8.36 |
| Lockheed Martin Corporation | 0.17 | 1.17 | 2.53 |
| Eaton Corporation Plc | 0.05 | 1.24 | 0.89 |
| General Dynamics Corporation | 0.20 | 1.42 | 0.29 |
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Quick ratio = cash / current liabilities; working capital ratio = current assets / current liabilities; asset turnover = revenue / total assets. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Northrop Grumman's Revenue and Income Growth vs Peers
Quarterly revenue and net income growth, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Revenue Y/Y | Income Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northrop Grumman Corp | Q3 2026 | +6.7 % | +2.2 % |
| Rtx Corporation | Q3 2026 | +11.1 % | +28.8 % |
| The Boeing Company | Q3 2026 | +3.9 % | - |
| Lockheed Martin Corporation | Q3 2026 | +11.3 % | +14.0 % |
| Eaton Corporation Plc | Q3 2026 | +28.0 % | +6.7 % |
| General Dynamics Corporation | Q3 2026 | +12.9 % | +16.1 % |
| PEERS TOTAL | +6.2 % | - |
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Growth is shown only where both periods are positive. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Northrop Grumman's Peers' Costs of Sales and Capital Expenditures
Context for revenue growth: peer costs and capex, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Costs Y/Y | Capex Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northrop Grumman Corp | Q3 2026 | +32.3 % | +1.7 % |
| Rtx Corporation | Q3 2026 | +41.0 % | +11.8 % |
| The Boeing Company | Q3 2026 | -14.1 % | +16.6 % |
| Lockheed Martin Corporation | Q3 2026 | +11.6 % | +15.2 % |
| Eaton Corporation Plc | Q3 2026 | +35.5 % | +54.5 % |
| General Dynamics Corporation | Q3 2026 | +81.5 % | +126.9 % |
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Northrop Grumman's Returns and Turnover vs Peers
ROA, ROI and ROE (trailing 12 months), receivables and inventory turnover| Company | ROA | ROI | ROE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northrop Grumman Corp | 8.83% | 10.92% | 25.70% |
| Rtx Corporation | 5.03% | 6.62% | 12.70% |
| The Boeing Company | 4.58% | 12.92% | 127.18% |
| Lockheed Martin Corporation | 10.59% | 14.93% | 78.85% |
| Eaton Corporation Plc | 7.43% | 9.80% | 19.38% |
| General Dynamics Corporation | 7.87% | 12.53% | 17.60% |
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ROA = net income / total assets; ROI = net income / investments; ROE = net income / equity; turnover ratios use trailing 12 month revenue (receivables) and cost of sales (inventory).
Northrop Grumman's Valuation vs Peers
P/E, price to sales, PEG, price to cash flow and price to book| Company | P/E | Price / Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Northrop Grumman Corp | 16.69 | 1.72 |
| Rtx Corporation | 32.52 | 2.83 |
| The Boeing Company | 18.15 | 1.46 |
| Lockheed Martin Corporation | 21.04 | 1.73 |
| Eaton Corporation Plc | 34.48 | 4.20 |
| General Dynamics Corporation | 21.58 | 1.78 |
| PEERS AVERAGE | 30.57 | 1.89 |
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P/E = price / diluted EPS (trailing 12 months); PEG = P/E divided by EPS growth; the average row divides the peers' combined market cap by their combined income, sales, cash flow and equity.