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Lockheed Martin vs Northrop Grumman: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Lockheed Martin holds the cleaner structural position, with the lead spread across growth and profitability. Northrop Grumman still has the edge on valuation, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. The market setup is mixed, without a decisive signal in either direction. The market is not adding a decisive signal either way — the structural read carries the weight.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Both peer scores are relative to the S&P 500 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-08-16

Most of the lead runs through growth, while profitability helps make the separation broader. The overall score gap is 14 points in favour of Lockheed Martin Corporation.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Aerospace & Defense

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

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

Peer-Relative Score
LMT
Lockheed Martin Corporation
71
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500
vs
NOC
Northrop Grumman Corporation
57
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500

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

Score differences across key dimensions.

Dimension spread: LMT vs NOC Profitability 69 42 Stability 64 69 Valuation 70 85 Growth 84 27 LMT NOC
Gap Ranking
#1 Growth +57
#2 Profitability +27
#3 Valuation +15
#4 Stability +5
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for LMT and NOC Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer LMTNOC Relative valuation Structural strength

Lockheed Martin Corporation still looks stronger overall, though current pricing looks more supportive for Northrop Grumman Corporation.

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

Entry today — historical context

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

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY LMT Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 4 pct gap NOC Elevated · near norm 0th 50th 100th 96th 92nd
LMT (96th percentile) and NOC (92nd 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
Growth
On growth, Lockheed Martin Corporation ranks near the top of the group; Northrop Grumman Corporation sits in the weaker half.
Profitability
On profitability, the edge is clear — both rank well, but Lockheed Martin Corporation sits noticeably higher.
Growth — Dominant Gap
LMT
84
NOC
27
Gap+57in favour of LMT

Earnings growth is one contributing factor within the growth lead.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Absolute pricing still looks more supportive for Northrop Grumman, with a trailing P/E that is 3.8 turns lower there.

What this means for the comparison

The lead is built on both growth and profitability — though valuation still provides a counterweight.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

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

Explore full breakdown →
Similar growth-driven comparisons

Explore how LMT 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.