NOC vs CW vs LDOS Stock Comparison

Northrop Grumman, Curtiss Wright and Leidos Holdings Prices as of Oct 26, 2026 Peers: Industry group
CW Curtiss Wright Corp
$476.33 -11.8% 1M -16.6% 1Y
Market cap
$17.63B
P/E
32.6x
Revenue (TTM)
$3.65B
Div. yield
–
Defense Industrials
5 wins
LDOS Leidos Holdings, Inc.
$139.91 +13.2% 1M -26.3% 1Y
Market cap
$17.59B
P/E
12.8x
Revenue (TTM)
$17.63B
Div. yield
0.01%
Defense Industrials
3 wins

Head to Head

12 decided of 12

Curtiss Wright leads on 5 of the 12 questions below (Curtiss Wright 5, Northrop Grumman 4, Leidos Holdings 3). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionNOCCWLDOSLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $78.25B $17.63B $17.59B NOC
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 17.3x 32.6x 12.8x LDOS
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 18.4x 33.2x 11.0x LDOS
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +6.5% +10.5% +3.4% CW
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 10.4% 14.8% 7.8% CW
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital 12.2% 14.7% 13.9% CW
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA 1.7x 0.6x 2.3x CW
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.02% 0.00% 0.01% NOC
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months -6.6% -16.6% -26.3% NOC
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years +7.8%/yr +29.7%/yr +7.2%/yr CW
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 28.6% 36.0% 35.6% NOC
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 57/100 68/100 70/100 LDOS

Percentile Scorecard

NOCCWLDOS

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisNOCCWLDOS
Valuation 74 #27 of 100 52 #49 of 100 98 #3 of 100
Growth 39 #60 of 97 59 #40 of 97 57 #42 of 97
Profitability 77 #23 of 96 95 #6 of 96 85 #15 of 96
Financial Health 39 #65 of 105 66 #36 of 105 34 #70 of 105
Shareholder Returns 59 #27 of 64 67 #22 of 64 75 #17 of 64
Overall 57 68 70
  • NOC ranked among 107 companies in Aerospace and Defense
  • CW ranked among 107 companies in Aerospace and Defense
  • LDOS ranked among 107 companies in Aerospace and Defense

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodNOCCWLDOSSPY
1 month +10.8%-11.8%+13.2% -0.8%
3 months +3.3%-35.9%+21.6% +3.5%
6 months -1.7%-33.6%-3.0% +7.0%
Year to date -0.8%-13.6%-22.4% +12.2%
1 year -6.6%-16.6%-26.3% +13.0%
3 years +19.5%+143.4%+54.6% +86.3%
3 years, per year +6.1%+34.5%+15.6% +23.1%
5 years +45.7%+266.6%+41.4% +68.6%
5 years, per year +7.8%+29.7%+7.2% +11.0%
10 years +147.9%+465.4%+235.6% +258.0%
10 years, per year +9.5%+18.9%+12.9% +13.6%

Risk

MeasureNOCCWLDOSSPY
Volatility, 1Y 28.6%36.0%35.6% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 28.3%38.0%37.3% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 0.001.410.26 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y -0.23-0.46-0.74 1.02
Max drawdown, 5Y -38.4%-41.3%-50.3% -25.4%
From 52-week high -26.4%-39.9%-29.9% -1.8%
52-week high $768.02$792.61$199.55 $779.14
52-week low $473.40$464.99$100.00 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultipleNOCCWLDOS
P/E now vs peer median 17.8xmedian 26.8x 32.5xmedian 26.8x 12.8xmedian 26.8x
P/S now vs peer median 1.8xmedian 2.9x 4.8xmedian 2.9x 1.0xmedian 2.9x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 14.8xmedian 15.2x 22.4xmedian 15.2x 9.8xmedian 15.2x
P/FCF now vs peer median 21.0xmedian 25.5x 28.1xmedian 25.5x 8.1xmedian 25.5x
P/B now vs peer median 4.3xmedian 2.5x 6.4xmedian 2.5x 3.3xmedian 2.5x
PEG now vs peer median 17.45median 0.94 1.58median 0.94 0.45median 0.94

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsNOCCWLDOS
Revenue $43.59B $3.65B $17.63B
Gross profit $8.73B $1.38B $3.14B
Operating income $4.63B $686.21M $2.03B
Net income $4.52B $541.18M $1.40B
Free cash flow $3.83B $625.29M $2.16B
R&D – $98.16M –
EPS (diluted) $31.74 $14.58 $10.92
Cash & equivalents $3.74B $477.15M $748.00M
Total debt $58.43B $957.39M $21.66B
Shares (diluted) 142.40M 37.12M 126.00M
Enterprise value $65.71B $16.22B $14.30B

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricNOCCWLDOS
P/E 17.8x 32.5x 12.8x
P/FCF 21.0x 28.1x 8.1x
P/Operating cash flow 15.3x 24.4x 7.6x
P/S 1.8x 4.8x 1.0x
P/B 4.3x 6.4x 3.3x
P/Tangible book 4.3x 7.8x 4.0x
EV/EBITDA 14.8x 22.4x 9.8x
EV/EBIT 19.7x 26.3x 11.3x
EV/Revenue 2.1x 4.9x 1.3x
EV/FCF 23.8x 28.9x 10.6x
EV/Operating cash flow 17.3x 25.1x 9.9x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) 17.45 1.58 0.45

Growth

14 metrics
MetricNOCCWLDOS
Revenue growth (1Y) 6.5% 10.5% 3.4%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) 4.1% 10.3% 5.9%
Gross profit growth (1Y) 9.8% 11.7% 4.8%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) 3.4% 11.1% 14.4%
Operating income growth (1Y) 6.8% 17.3% -0.4%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) 6.4% 14.6% 21.1%
Net income growth (1Y) 12.5% 19.9% -0.8%
Net income CAGR (3Y) -1.1% 19.1% 24.8%
EPS growth (1Y) 13.3% 22.4% 1.3%
EPS CAGR (3Y) 1.0% 20.6% 28.6%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) 53.2% 25.1% 54.9%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) 12.5% 21.0% 35.7%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) 108.8% 24.2% 63.2%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) 22.3% 19.5% 41.7%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricNOCCWLDOS
Gross margin 20.0% 37.7% 17.8%
EBITDA margin 14.1% 22.0% 13.2%
Operating margin 10.6% 18.8% 11.5%
Pretax margin 12.0% 18.9% 10.2%
Net margin 10.4% 14.8% 7.8%
FCF margin 8.8% 17.1% 12.3%
Operating cash flow margin 12.1% 19.7% 13.0%
Return on equity 24.7% 20.0% 26.8%
Return on assets 8.8% 10.1% 9.0%
Return on invested capital 12.2% 14.7% 13.9%
Return on capital employed 12.2% 17.3% 16.5%
Asset turnover 0.8x 0.7x 1.1x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 1.2x 1.3x 1.6x
Stock comp / revenue 0.3% 0.7% 0.6%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricNOCCWLDOS
Debt / assets 27.5% 17.5% 38.6%
Debt / equity 0.8x 0.3x 1.1x
Net debt / EBITDA 1.7x 0.6x 2.3x
Debt / FCF 3.8x 1.5x 2.8x
Liabilities / assets 64.4% 49.2% 65.9%
Equity / assets 35.6% 50.8% 34.1%
Interest coverage 7.1x 16.2x –
Current ratio 1.2x 1.6x 1.6x
Quick ratio 1.0x 1.4x 1.4x
Cash ratio 0.3x 0.3x 0.2x
Altman Z-score 3.12 6.37 3.20

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricNOCCWLDOS
Dividend yield 1.7% 0.2% 1.2%
Net buyback yield 0.7% 2.5% 3.7%
Shareholder yield 2.3% 2.7% 5.0%
Payout ratio (earnings) 30.2% – 15.5%
Payout ratio (FCF) 35.6% – 10.0%
Dividend growth (1Y) 8.0% – 3.3%
Dividend CAGR (3Y) 7.4% – 2.8%

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusNOCCWLDOS
Forward P/E 18.4xFY2026 33.2xFY2026 11.0xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $30.81FY2026 $14.35FY2026 $12.75FY2026
EPS growth, next FY +17.0%FY2026 +8.5%FY2026 +6.3%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after +3.7% +11.6% -9.0%
Revenue, next fiscal year $42.95BFY2026 $4.03BFY2026 $17.52BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +2.4%FY2026 +15.2%FY2026 +2.0%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after +3.7% -3.9% +14.9%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersNOCCWLDOS
Held by institutions 83.4% 85.6% 79.3%
Institutions holding 1,809 946 773
Change in shares held, QoQ +0.3% +2.8% +4.1%
Institutions buying 840 479 380
Institutions selling 639 313 294
Buyers to sellers 1.31 1.53 1.29

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

NOCCWLDOS
NOC 1.00 0.31 0.42
CW 0.31 1.00 0.12
LDOS 0.42 0.12 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, NOC, CW and LDOS?

Northrop Grumman (NOC) is the largest by market capitalisation: Northrop Grumman (NOC) $78.25B, Curtiss Wright (CW) $17.63B, Leidos Holdings (LDOS) $17.59B.

Which stock is cheaper, NOC, CW and LDOS?

Leidos Holdings (LDOS) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Northrop Grumman (NOC) 17.3x, Curtiss Wright (CW) 32.6x, Leidos Holdings (LDOS) 12.8x). On next year's consensus earnings, Leidos Holdings (LDOS) is cheapest (Northrop Grumman (NOC) 18.4x, Curtiss Wright (CW) 33.2x, Leidos Holdings (LDOS) 11.0x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

Curtiss Wright (CW) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Northrop Grumman (NOC) +6.5%, Curtiss Wright (CW) +10.5%, Leidos Holdings (LDOS) +3.4%.

Which company is more profitable?

Curtiss Wright (CW) has the highest net margin (Northrop Grumman (NOC) 10.4%, Curtiss Wright (CW) 14.8%, Leidos Holdings (LDOS) 7.8%). On return on invested capital, Curtiss Wright (CW) leads (Northrop Grumman (NOC) 12.2%, Curtiss Wright (CW) 14.7%, Leidos Holdings (LDOS) 13.9%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Northrop Grumman (NOC) returned the most: Northrop Grumman (NOC) -6.6%, Curtiss Wright (CW) -16.6%, Leidos Holdings (LDOS) -26.3%. Over five years, Curtiss Wright (CW) compounded fastest (Northrop Grumman (NOC) +7.8%/yr, Curtiss Wright (CW) +29.7%/yr, Leidos Holdings (LDOS) +7.2%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Northrop Grumman (NOC) has the highest dividend yield: Northrop Grumman (NOC) 0.02%, Curtiss Wright (CW) 0.00%, Leidos Holdings (LDOS) 0.01%. Curtiss Wright (CW) pays no regular dividend.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Northrop Grumman (NOC) has been the steadiest (Northrop Grumman (NOC) 28.6%, Curtiss Wright (CW) 36.0%, Leidos Holdings (LDOS) 35.6%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, NOC, CW and LDOS?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Curtiss Wright (CW) leads on 5. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.