Home› Compare› NOC vs QQ.L
Stock Comparison · Industry comparison · Aerospace & Defense

Northrop Grumman vs QinetiQ Group: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

QinetiQ holds the cleaner structural position, with the lead spread across growth and valuation. Northrop Grumman still has the edge on valuation, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. The market setup broadly confirms the structural lead — QinetiQ holds the more constructive position. That puts structure and market broadly in agreement — QinetiQ's lead looks more confirmed than conflicted.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Peer scores are normalised within each company's primary universe (NOC: Russell 1000, QQ.L: STOXX 600).

Updated 2026-08-16

The lead is spread across growth and profitability, rather than sitting in one isolated gap. The overall score gap is 8 points in favour of QinetiQ Group plc.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Aerospace & Defense

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

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

Peer-Relative Score
NOC
Northrop Grumman Corporation
59
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: Russell 1000
vs
QQ.L
QinetiQ Group plc
67
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: STOXX 600

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: NOC vs QQ.L Profitability 46 83 Stability 72 71 Valuation 85 43 Growth 29 74 NOC QQ.L
Gap Ranking
#1 Growth +45
#2 Valuation +42
#3 Profitability +37
#4 Stability +1
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for NOC and QQ.L Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer NOCQQ.L Relative valuation Structural strength

QinetiQ Group plc is cheaper, but Northrop Grumman Corporation is still stronger.

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

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Growth
On growth, QinetiQ Group plc ranks near the top of the group; Northrop Grumman Corporation sits in the weaker half.
Valuation
On valuation, the edge is clear — both rank well, but Northrop Grumman Corporation sits noticeably higher.
Growth — Dominant Gap
NOC
29
QQ.L
74
Gap+45in favour of QQ.L

The current lead is backed by a stronger multi-year growth trajectory.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Absolute pricing still looks more supportive for Northrop Grumman, with a trailing P/E that is 9.5 turns lower there.

What this means for the comparison

The growth edge is decisive, even though current pricing and valuation still lean somewhat toward Northrop Grumman Corporation.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

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

Explore full breakdown →
Other comparisons with conflicting dimension signals

Explore how NOC and QQ.L 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.