BA vs LMT vs RTX vs NOC

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

5% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 2. 2% for Northrop Grumman Corporation (NOC). Northrop Grumman Corporation (NOC) offers the better valuation at 19. 2x trailing P/E (20. 0x 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, Northrop Grumman Corporation (NOC) is the cheapest at 19.

2x versus The Boeing Company at 90. 5x. On forward P/E, Lockheed Martin Corporation is actually cheaper at 17. 0x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth.

Over the past 5 years, RTX Corporation (RTX) delivered a total return of +119.

6%, compared to -1. 7% for The Boeing Company (BA). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: RTX returned +227. 4% versus BA's +92. 1%. 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), Northrop Grumman Corporation (NOC) is the lower-risk stock at 0.

03β versus The Boeing Company's 0. 97β — meaning BA is approximately 3284% more volatile than NOC relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, RTX Corporation (RTX) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 59% 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 2. 2% for Northrop Grumman Corporation (NOC). 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.

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NOC) is the more profitable company, earning 10.

0% net margin versus 2. 5% for The Boeing Company — meaning it keeps 10. 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.

0x forward P/E versus 4955. 4x for The Boeing Company — 4938. 4x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for NOC: 30. 9% to $731. 46.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT) offers the highest yield at 2. 7%, versus 0. 2% for The Boeing Company (BA).

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

03), 1. 6% yield, +192. 7% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (NOC: +192. 7%, BA: +92. 1%), 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; LMT is a mid-cap quality compounder stock; RTX is a large-cap quality compounder stock; NOC is a mid-cap quality compounder stock. LMT, RTX, NOC 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.