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Stock Comparison · Industry comparison · Aerospace & Defense

BWX Technologies vs Northrop Grumman: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Northrop Grumman holds the cleaner structural position, with valuation as the main driver and stability adding further support. BWX Technologies still has the edge on profitability, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. Both sides have seen trend damage — neither carries a clear market edge right now. With both trends damaged, the structural comparison carries most of the weight here.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Both peer scores are relative to the Russell 1000 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-07-05

The clearest separation starts in valuation, with stability adding a second layer of support. The overall score gap is 15 points in favour of Northrop Grumman Corporation.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Aerospace & Defense

This comparison is based on industry proximity, not on functional trajectory similarity. BWXT and NOC share the same industry classification.

For a similarity-based comparison, see how BWX Technologies and Northrop Grumman each position within their functional peer groups in AssetNext.

Peer-Relative Score
BWXT
BWX Technologies, Inc.
57
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: Russell 1000
vs
NOC
Northrop Grumman Corporation
72
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: Russell 1000

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

The largest gaps do not all point in the same direction.

Dimension spread: BWXT vs NOC Profitability 68 57 Stability 55 72 Valuation 40 88 Growth 67 71 BWXT NOC
Gap Ranking
#1 Valuation +48
#2 Stability +17
#3 Profitability +11
#4 Growth +4
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for BWXT and NOC Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer BWXTNOC Relative valuation Structural strength

Northrop Grumman Corporation and BWX Technologies, Inc. look relatively close on structure, but the price setup still leans toward Northrop Grumman Corporation.

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Entry today — historical context

Where BWXT and NOC each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY BWXT Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 6 pct gap NOC Elevated · near norm 0th 50th 100th 89th 83rd
BWXT (89th percentile) and NOC (83rd percentile) both sit in the upper portion of their own 5-year ranges. The historical entry context is broadly similar for both. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger.

Describes historical entry positioning only. Descriptive — not investment advice.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Valuation
Both profiles are strong on valuation, but Northrop Grumman Corporation leads clearly.
Stability
On stability, the edge still sits with Northrop Grumman Corporation, even though both profiles look solid.
Valuation — Dominant Gap
BWXT
40
NOC
88
Gap+48in favour of NOC

The multiple-based pricing edge comes from a forward P/E that is 18.6 turns lower.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

BWX Technologies, Inc. still shows lower market-fundamental divergence, which keeps the wider picture mixed rather than completely one-sided.

What this means for the comparison

Valuation is the clearest driver of the lead, with stability adding further support — though profitability still provides a real counterweight.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the BWXT vs NOC comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Similar valuation-driven comparisons

Explore how BWXT and NOC each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Because scores are peer-relative, the same company can have slightly different scores in different index universes. On comparison pages, both companies are shown within their shared peer universe wherever possible — so the scores are directly comparable. The peer basis is stated on each score card.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.