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Stock Comparison · Industry comparison · Aerospace & Defense

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

Northrop Grumman leads structurally, with valuation as the clearest single gap between the two profiles. Thales 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. Peer scores are normalised within each company's primary universe (HO.PA: STOXX 600, NOC: S&P 500).

Updated 2026-07-05

Valuation still does most of the heavy lifting in this comparison.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Aerospace & Defense

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

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

Peer-Relative Score
HO.PA
Thales S.A.
65
Peer-Score
Signal qualityMedium
Peer basis: STOXX 600
vs
NOC
Northrop Grumman Corporation
72
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500

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: HO.PA vs NOC Profitability 80 57 Stability 69 72 Valuation 45 88 Growth 69 71 HO.PA NOC
Gap Ranking
#1 Valuation +43
#2 Profitability +23
#3 Stability +3
#4 Growth +2
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for HO.PA and NOC Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer HO.PANOC Relative valuation Structural strength

Structure stays fairly close here, while current pricing still looks more supportive for Northrop Grumman Corporation.

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

Entry today — historical context

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

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY HO.PA Elevated · near norm 0th 50th 100th 3 pct gap NOC Elevated · near norm 0th 50th 100th 86th 83rd
HO.PA (86th 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.
Profitability
On profitability, the same pattern holds: both are strong, but Thales S.A. still leads clearly.
Valuation — Dominant Gap
HO.PA
45
NOC
88
Gap+43in favour of NOC

The multiple-based pricing edge comes from a trailing P/E that is 12.1 turns lower.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Capital efficiency also runs the other way, with a 5-point ROIC edge acting as a real counterforce.

What this means for the comparison

Valuation gives Northrop Grumman Corporation the clearer edge, even though profitability and the price setup keep the overall picture from looking clean.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

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

Explore full breakdown →
Other comparisons with conflicting dimension signals

Explore how HO.PA 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.