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Curtiss-Wright vs Northrop Grumman: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Northrop Grumman holds the cleaner structural position, with valuation as the main driver and profitability adding further support. Curtiss-Wright does not offset that deficit through any equally strong structural edge elsewhere. In the market, Curtiss-Wright carries the stronger setup — intact trend against Northrop Grumman's broken trend. That leaves a split case: the structural lead stays with Northrop Grumman, but the market is not currently confirming it.

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 score difference appears in valuation. Northrop Grumman Corporation leads by 18 points on the overall comparison score.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Aerospace & Defense

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

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

Peer-Relative Score
CW
Curtiss-Wright Corporation
54
Peer-Score
Signal qualityMedium
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.

Score differences across key dimensions.

Dimension spread: CW vs NOC Profitability 45 57 Stability 65 72 Valuation 42 88 Growth 75 71 CW NOC
Gap Ranking
#1 Valuation +46
#2 Profitability +12
#3 Stability +7
#4 Growth +4
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for CW and NOC Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer CWNOC Relative valuation Structural strength

The structural gap is limited here, but current pricing still leans against Curtiss-Wright Corporation.

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

Entry today — historical context

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

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY CW Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 16 pct gap NOC Elevated · near norm 0th 50th 100th 99th 83rd
Today NOC sits in the upper portion of its own 5-year history (83rd percentile), while CW sits higher in its own history (99th). Within each stock's own 5-year context, NOC is at a historically more favourable entry position than CW. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger — peer-relative analysis is a separate question addressed above.

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.
Profitability
On profitability, the edge still sits with Northrop Grumman Corporation, even though both profiles look solid.
Valuation — Dominant Gap
CW
42
NOC
88
Gap+46in favour of NOC

The multiple-based pricing edge comes from a forward P/E that is 26 turns lower.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Curtiss-Wright Corporation 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, and profitability also supports Northrop Grumman Corporation's broader structural position.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

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

Explore full breakdown →
Similar valuation-driven comparisons

Explore how CW 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.