BA vs GD vs RTX vs LMT

For growth investors, The Boeing Company (BA) is the stronger pick with 34.

5% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 5. 7% for Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT). General Dynamics Corporation (GD) offers the better valuation at 22. 5x trailing P/E (21. 1x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate The Boeing Company (BA) a "Buy" — based on 54 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.

On trailing P/E, General Dynamics Corporation (GD) is the cheapest at 22.

5x versus The Boeing Company at 93. 2x. On forward P/E, Lockheed Martin Corporation is actually cheaper at 17. 1x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth.

Over the past 5 years, RTX Corporation (RTX) delivered a total return of +120.

1%, compared to -1. 9% for The Boeing Company (BA). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: RTX returned +234. 7% versus BA's +94. 6%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT) is the lower-risk stock at 0.

12β versus The Boeing Company's 0. 97β — meaning BA is approximately 684% more volatile than LMT relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, General Dynamics Corporation (GD) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 38% versus 10% for The Boeing Company — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), The Boeing Company (BA) is pulling ahead at 34.

5% versus 5. 7% for Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: The Boeing Company grew EPS 113. 5% year-over-year, compared to -3. 7% for Lockheed Martin Corporation. Over a 3-year CAGR, BA leads at 10. 3% annualised revenue growth. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

General Dynamics Corporation (GD) is the more profitable company, earning 8.

0% net margin versus 2. 5% for The Boeing Company — meaning it keeps 8. 0% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: LMT leads at 10. 3% versus -6. 1% for BA. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — RTX leads at 20. 1%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.

On forward earnings alone, Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT) trades at 17.

1x forward P/E versus 4979. 1x for The Boeing Company — 4962. 0x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for RTX: 27. 2% to $224. 89.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT) offers the highest yield at 2. 6%, versus 0. 2% for The Boeing Company (BA).

For long-horizon retirement investors, Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.

12), 2. 6% yield, +156. 2% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (LMT: +156. 2%, BA: +94. 6%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.

Both stocks operate in the Industrials sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both.

In terms of investment character: BA is a mid-cap high-growth stock; GD is a mid-cap quality compounder stock; RTX is a large-cap quality compounder stock; LMT is a mid-cap quality compounder stock. GD, RTX, LMT pay a dividend while BA does not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.