$NOC

Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Curtiss-Wright secured U.S. Navy contracts. Leonardo DRS partnered with AeroVironment for anti-drone lasers. Democrats' midterm wins may impact Trump's $1.5T 2027 defense budget. Defense stocks like LMT, LHX, RTX, and NOC fell. L3Harris, Boeing, and HII reported strong Q3 earnings. Curtiss-Wright (CW) raised its 2026 EPS forecast after a 10% revenue increase and $1.1B in new orders. Leidos (LDOS) beat EPS estimates but missed revenue forecasts.

NATO launched a counter-drone marketplace on November 5, 2026, offering 16 preselected systems from companies like Alta Ares, Axon, and Northrop Grumman. The systems are designed for military and critical infrastructure protection. Alta Ares secured six lots, covering area defense and border protection. NATO allocated €3.1 million for further testing. The initiative is part of the Drone Edge program, with allies committing over $40 billion for counter-drone capabilities.

The Pentagon's FutureG Office is funding over $50 million in awards for 11 teams, including AT&T, Nokia Federal, Leidos, Peraton, and IBM, to develop 6G sensing prototypes. The 24-month RAPID program aims to create integrated sensing and communications technology for military and commercial use, with prototypes expected by its end. According to FutureG's director, the program marks a shift from theoretical 6G concepts to practical prototypes.

An F-35B successfully jettisoned an inert Meteor BVRAAM from its internal weapons bay in a test, according to the F-35 Joint Program Office and MBDA. The trial, conducted on Oct. 7, 2026, at NAS Patuxent River, is part of a campaign to integrate the missile on Italian and British F-35s. Further tests, including live firings, are planned. The UK leads the integration for the F-35B, while Italy sponsors it for the F-35A.

Northrop Grumman (NOC) is among the worst S&P 500 stocks to own in November, with a 0.6% average return and 40% win rate over the past decade. The stock is down 4.5% to $525.78, heading for a fourth-straight loss. Analysts maintain a bullish stance with a 12-month price target of $640.23, a 21.8% premium.

U.S. election results drove sector-specific stock movements. Clean energy and healthcare stocks rose, while defense, data center, and some tech stocks fell. Key movers include NextEra Energy (+4%), Molina Healthcare (+8%), Lockheed Martin (-7%), CoreWeave (-9%), and Apple (+6%).

Northrop Grumman (NOC) shares fell 3.3% to $532.08 after Democrats won control of Congress, raising concerns about Pentagon spending. Insider sales and cautious analyst sentiment also contributed to the decline. The selloff affected the broader defense sector, with peers Lockheed Martin, RTX, and General Dynamics also dropping. Analysts note uncertainty over defense budgets may continue to pressure the stock.

Defense stocks showed mixed performance on November 3, 2026, with Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) up 1.03%, VisionWave (VWAV) up 1.83%, Lockheed Martin (LMT) down 0.65%, Northrop Grumman (NOC) down 0.90%, RTX (RTX) up 0.51%, and General Dynamics (GD) up 0.28%. HII completed sea trials for a new ship, while VisionWave develops Stratum AI for autonomous defense systems. The iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) rose 0.69%.

The Dow surged 1,569 points as Democrats won control of Congress, easing political uncertainty. Large tech stocks like Microsoft and Amazon rose, while smaller AI infrastructure companies fell. The S&P 500 gained 1.6%, and the Nasdaq Composite added 1.4%. Oil prices dropped on expectations of a shift in power ending the Iran war. Defense stocks fell, and solar stocks rose.

Palantir (PLTR) and Northrop Grumman (NOC) are compared as defense stock investments. PLTR, with a forward P/E of 119x, has a $218.95 avg. price target, implying 19% upside. NOC, with a forward P/E of 18.69x, has a $634.71 avg. price target, implying 13.84% upside. Both have a Smart Score of 9 on TipRanks.