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Stock Comparison · Industry comparison · Aerospace & Defense

HEICO vs Northrop Grumman: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Northrop Grumman leads structurally, with valuation as the clearest single gap between the two profiles. HEICO still has the edge on profitability, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. The market setup is currently leaning toward HEICO, which does not confirm the structural lead. 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

Valuation still does most of the heavy lifting in this comparison. Northrop Grumman Corporation leads by 14 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. HEI and NOC share the same industry classification.

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

Peer-Relative Score
HEI
HEICO Corporation
58
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.

Pricing shapes this comparison more than a broad operating gap.

Dimension spread: HEI vs NOC Profitability 69 57 Stability 67 72 Valuation 32 88 Growth 73 71 HEI NOC
Gap Ranking
#1 Valuation +56
#2 Profitability +12
#3 Stability +5
#4 Growth +2
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for HEI and NOC Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer HEINOC Relative valuation Structural strength

Northrop Grumman Corporation and HEICO Corporation 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 HEI and NOC each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY HEI 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 HEI 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 HEI. 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
On valuation, Northrop Grumman Corporation ranks near the top of the group; HEICO Corporation sits in the weaker half.
Profitability
On profitability, the same pattern holds: both rank well, but HEICO Corporation still sits higher.
Valuation — Dominant Gap
HEI
32
NOC
88
Gap+56in favour of NOC

The multiple-based pricing edge comes from a forward P/E that is 34 turns lower.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Profitability still favours HEICO, with a 13.8-point operating margin advantage keeping the comparison from looking fully resolved.

What this means for the comparison

Valuation settles the comparison, while pricing and profitability keep the broader setup from looking fully aligned.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

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

Explore full breakdown →
Similar valuation-driven comparisons

Explore how HEI 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.