General Dynamics (GD), Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), and L3Harris Technologies (LHX) are key players in the U.S. defense sector, specializing in aerospace, shipbuilding, and advanced technologies amid sustained government spending. This stock comparison evaluates their recent performance, valuations, and market positioning, offering insights for investors tracking defense exposure. Traders focused on relative strength in a sector buoyed by geopolitical demands may find value in understanding momentum shifts, earnings trends, and risk profiles across these firms.
General Dynamics (GD) is a diversified defense contractor with segments in aerospace (Gulfstream jets), marine systems (submarines), combat systems (tanks), and information technology. In recent market activity, shares traded around $346, with a market cap exceeding $93 billion and a low beta of 0.34 signaling stability. Strong Q1 2026 results featured 10.3% revenue growth to $13.48 billion, a raised full-year EPS (earnings per share) outlook to $16.45–$16.55, and a $130.8 billion backlog fueled by marine orders. This drove positive sentiment, with shares rising post-earnings on robust cash flow and bookings, though YTD gains lag peers at +3.63% amid broader sector rotation.
Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) focuses on naval shipbuilding, designing and constructing aircraft carriers, submarines, and destroyers for the U.S. Navy. Shares recently hovered near $361, with a $14.2 billion market cap and beta of 0.29. In recent weeks, the stock has shown resilience with YTD gains of +6.37% and one-year returns of +61.48%, supported by contracts like a $283 million frigate deal. Anticipation builds for Q1 earnings on May 5, following prior quarters of revenue expansion and operating income growth at shipyards like Newport News. Sentiment remains constructive despite some near-term pullbacks tied to sector volatility.
L3Harris Technologies (LHX) provides advanced defense technologies, including communication systems, sensors, and electronic warfare solutions. Trading around $313 with a $58.4 billion market cap, it carries a higher beta of 0.75. Recent Q1 2026 results beat expectations with $5.74 billion in revenue (up 11.9% year-over-year) and adjusted EPS of $2.72, prompting a 2026 EPS guidance hike to $11.40–$11.60. YTD performance leads at +7.12%, though a one-month dip of -11.45% followed earnings as shares digested gains. Backlog growth and tactical radio demand have bolstered positioning in recent market activity.
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GD, HII, and LHX share defense sector tailwinds from budget increases but differ in business models: GD's broad diversification across land, sea, air, and IT contrasts HII's naval shipbuilding concentration and LHX's tech-heavy focus on sensors and comms. Growth drivers include GD and HII's massive backlogs versus LHX's order momentum in hypersonics. Recent momentum favors LHX and HII on YTD basis, but GD exhibits steadier trends with lower volatility. Risks involve contract dependencies and budget delays, with HII most exposed to shipyard execution. Valuation sensitivity highlights GD's attractive P/E versus LHX's premium, while market sentiment tilts toward earnings outperformers amid sector strength.
Tickeron's AI models currently lean toward LHX for its trend consistency, recent earnings beat, guidance uplift, and YTD leadership, positioning it favorably amid defense tech demand. GD offers stability and value as a close contender, while HII awaits earnings confirmation. Observable catalysts suggest higher probability of near-term outperformance for LHX relative to peers.
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It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
GD’s FA Score shows that 1 FA rating(s) are green whileHII’s FA Score has 1 green FA rating(s), and LHX’s FA Score reflects 0 green FA rating(s).
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
GD’s TA Score shows that 6 TA indicator(s) are bullish while HII’s TA Score has 5 bullish TA indicator(s), and LHX’s TA Score reflects 3 bullish TA indicator(s).
GD (@Aerospace & Defense) experienced а +2.39% price change this week, while HII (@Aerospace & Defense) price change was +1.31% , and LHX (@Aerospace & Defense) price fluctuated +0.42% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Aerospace & Defense industry was -5.94%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -1.22%, and the average quarterly price growth was +14.24%.
GD is expected to report earnings on Jul 29, 2026.
HII is expected to report earnings on Jul 30, 2026.
LHX is expected to report earnings on Jul 23, 2026.
Aerospace & Defense is one of largest industries in the U.S., mainly comprising the following areas: commercial airliners, military aircraft, missiles, space, and general aviation. Focused heavily on research & development, it is also one of the fastest growing industries. Military aircraft has the largest market share in the industry’s sales, followed by space systems, civil aircraft, and missiles. Aerospace exports, directly and indirectly, support more jobs than the export of any other commodity, according to a study by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin Corporation and General Electric Company are some of the most prominent players in this space.
| GD | HII | LHX | |
| Capitalization | 93.5B | 11.7B | 56.4B |
| EBITDA | 6.59B | 1.2B | 3.85B |
| Gain YTD | 3.578 | -11.860 | 5.766 |
| P/E Ratio | 21.75 | 19.33 | 32.90 |
| Revenue | 53.8B | 12.8B | 22.5B |
| Total Cash | 3.65B | 216M | 590M |
| Total Debt | 9.83B | 2.93B | 11.4B |
GD | HII | LHX | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 63 | 75 | 27 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 43 Fair valued | 26 Undervalued | 41 Fair valued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 15 | 62 | 40 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 51 | 61 | 52 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 39 | 35 | 37 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 50 | 50 | 8 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
HII's Valuation (26) in the Aerospace And Defense industry is in the same range as LHX (41) in the null industry, and is in the same range as GD (43) in the Aerospace And Defense industry. This means that HII's stock grew similarly to LHX’s and similarly to GD’s over the last 12 months.
GD's Profit vs Risk Rating (15) in the Aerospace And Defense industry is in the same range as LHX (40) in the null industry, and is somewhat better than the same rating for HII (62) in the Aerospace And Defense industry. This means that GD's stock grew similarly to LHX’s and somewhat faster than HII’s over the last 12 months.
GD's SMR Rating (100) in the Aerospace And Defense industry is in the same range as LHX (100) in the null industry, and is in the same range as HII (100) in the Aerospace And Defense industry. This means that GD's stock grew similarly to LHX’s and similarly to HII’s over the last 12 months.
GD's Price Growth Rating (51) in the Aerospace And Defense industry is in the same range as LHX (52) in the null industry, and is in the same range as HII (61) in the Aerospace And Defense industry. This means that GD's stock grew similarly to LHX’s and similarly to HII’s over the last 12 months.
HII's P/E Growth Rating (35) in the Aerospace And Defense industry is in the same range as LHX (37) in the null industry, and is in the same range as GD (39) in the Aerospace And Defense industry. This means that HII's stock grew similarly to LHX’s and similarly to GD’s over the last 12 months.
| GD | HII | LHX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | N/A | 2 days ago 53% | 2 days ago 54% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 48% | 2 days ago 67% | 2 days ago 56% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 52% | 2 days ago 67% | 2 days ago 61% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 51% | 2 days ago 71% | 2 days ago 51% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 46% | 2 days ago 62% | 2 days ago 55% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 48% | 2 days ago 55% | 2 days ago 56% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 6 days ago 43% | 16 days ago 59% | 13 days ago 52% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 8 days ago 36% | 3 days ago 57% | 3 days ago 54% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | N/A | 2 days ago 56% | N/A |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 7 days ago 56% | 2 days ago 54% | 2 days ago 58% |
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, GD has been loosely correlated with LHX. These tickers have moved in lockstep 58% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if GD jumps, then LHX could also see price increases.