Advertisement
HII or KTOS or LHX
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) vs. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (KTOS) vs. L3Harris Technologies (LHX) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- HII has delivered strong year-to-date gains of around 18%, driven by a robust shipbuilding backlog exceeding $50 billion amid rising naval demands.
- KTOS shows high volatility with over 140% one-year returns but recent pullbacks of 27% in the past month due to market pressures in defense tech.
- LHX maintains relative stability with 20% YTD growth, supported by diversified contracts in missiles, space, and communications.
- All three benefit from elevated defense spending, but HII and LHX exhibit stronger trend consistency compared to KTOS's momentum swings.
- Recent market activity highlights HII's resilience in shipbuilding, while KTOS faces execution risks in hypersonics and drones.
- Sector tailwinds favor large-scale contractors like LHX for steady cash flows versus growth-oriented KTOS.
Introduction
This comparison evaluates HII, KTOS, and LHX—key players in the defense sector amid geopolitical tensions and expanding U.S. military budgets. HII specializes in naval shipbuilding, KTOS in unmanned systems and hypersonics, and LHX in integrated mission systems. Traders eyeing short-term momentum and investors seeking long-term exposure to aerospace and defense will benefit from insights into their relative performance, growth drivers, and market positioning in today's environment.
HII Overview and Recent Performance
Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) is America's largest military shipbuilder, focusing on nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, submarines, and surface combatants through its Newport News and Ingalls divisions. The company also provides mission technologies like C6ISR and unmanned systems. In recent market activity, HII shares have shown resilience, trading around $400 with nearly 19% YTD gains and over 98% one-year returns, outperforming the S&P 500. Sentiment has been bolstered by a $53 billion backlog, strong Q4 results with 28% EPS growth, and easing labor challenges at shipyards, amid sustained naval fleet expansion demands.
KTOS Overview and Recent Performance
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (KTOS) develops affordable technologies for national security, including unmanned aerial systems, hypersonics, satellite communications, and microwave electronics. Operating through Government Solutions and Unmanned Systems segments, it serves the U.S. Department of Defense and allies. Recent weeks have seen heightened volatility for KTOS, with shares dropping over 27% in the past month to around $77 despite 148% one-year gains and a $1.2 billion backlog. Performance reflects Q4 revenue beats and hypersonic facility expansions, tempered by Middle East tensions and broader sector pressures.
LHX Overview and Recent Performance
L3Harris Technologies (LHX) delivers mission-critical solutions across space, airborne systems, communications, and missiles, with segments in Space & Mission Systems, Communications & Spectrum Dominance, and Missile Solutions. Recent performance for LHX has been steady, with shares near $351 and about 20% YTD appreciation alongside 70% one-year returns. Key influences include contract wins like Navy precision-strike programs, robust orders ($27.5 billion annually), and growth in defense electronics amid global demand, though government shutdown delays posed short-term hurdles.
Trending AI Robots
Tickeron’s Trending AI Robots page features the top 25 performers out of 351 AI trading bots, meticulously curated by AI for suitability in current market conditions. These bots trade thousands of tickers across stocks, ETFs, and crypto, employing diverse strategies like swing trading, trend following, and volatility plays on 5min to 60min timeframes. Standouts include bots with annualized returns up to 137.81%, win rates reaching 89.13%, and profit factors as high as 12.17, such as those targeting energy (62.60% return), semiconductors, and aerospace sectors. Timeframes vary from 2 days for high-volatility plays to 58 days for microcaps, with drawdowns managed effectively (profit-to-drawdown ratios up to 22.49). Explore these high-performing bots to enhance your trading across varying styles and conditions.
Head-to-Head Comparison
HII, KTOS, and LHX operate in defense but differ markedly in business models: HII's focus on large-scale shipbuilding yields stable, backlog-driven revenues ($12.5 billion annually), contrasting KTOS's agile emphasis on drones and hypersonics for rapid innovation but higher execution risks. LHX offers broad diversification across missiles and C6ISR. Growth drivers include naval expansion for HII, next-gen tech for KTOS, and global contracts for LHX. Recent momentum favors HII and LHX amid volatility for KTOS. Risks encompass labor/supply issues for HII, fixed-price contracts for KTOS, and integration debt for LHX. All share sector exposure to budget hikes, but LHX shows lower valuation sensitivity and steadier sentiment.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron’s AI currently favors LHX due to its trend consistency, diversified backlog, and stable profitability amid defense growth. While HII excels in naval catalysts and KTOS in high-upside tech, LHX's relative positioning offers a probabilistic edge in the present market.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer. Disclaimers and Limitations
Long-Term Analysis
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).
HII’s FA Score shows that 3 FA rating(s) are green whileKTOS’s FA Score has 1 green FA rating(s), and LHX’s FA Score reflects 3 green FA rating(s).
- HII’s FA Score: 3 green, 2 red.
- KTOS’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
- LHX’s FA Score: 3 green, 2 red.
Short-Term Analysis
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.
HII’s TA Score shows that 4 TA indicator(s) are bullish while KTOS’s TA Score has 6 bullish TA indicator(s), and LHX’s TA Score reflects 3 bullish TA indicator(s).
- HII’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 6 bearish.
- KTOS’s TA Score: 6 bullish, 2 bearish.
- LHX’s TA Score: 3 bullish, 6 bearish.
Price Growth
HII (@Aerospace & Defense) experienced а +0.10% price change this week, while KTOS (@Aerospace & Defense) price change was +0.92% , and LHX (@Aerospace & Defense) price fluctuated -0.92% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Aerospace & Defense industry was +4.81%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +11.73%, and the average quarterly price growth was +29.52%.
Reported Earning Dates
HII is expected to report earnings on May 05, 2026.
KTOS is expected to report earnings on May 06, 2026.
LHX is expected to report earnings on Apr 30, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Aerospace & Defense (+4.81% weekly)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.
| HII | KTOS | LHX | |
| Capitalization | 15.5B | 13.3B | 65.4B |
| EBITDA | 1.21B | 103M | 3.75B |
| Gain YTD | 16.459 | -6.481 | 19.757 |
| P/E Ratio | 25.65 | 546.08 | 41.07 |
| Revenue | 12.5B | 1.35B | 21.9B |
| Total Cash | 774M | 561M | 1.07B |
| Total Debt | 2.92B | 146M | 11.1B |
HII | KTOS | LHX | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 63 | 6 | 69 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 15 Undervalued | 94 Overvalued | 31 Undervalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 30 | 61 | 28 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 60 | 89 | 75 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 46 | 63 | 47 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 19 | 14 | 25 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 75 | n/a | 50 |
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 (15) in the Aerospace And Defense industry is in the same range as LHX (31) in the null industry, and is significantly better than the same rating for KTOS (94) in the Aerospace And Defense industry. This means that HII's stock grew similarly to LHX’s and significantly faster than KTOS’s over the last 12 months.
LHX's Profit vs Risk Rating (28) in the null industry is in the same range as HII (30) in the Aerospace And Defense industry, and is somewhat better than the same rating for KTOS (61) in the Aerospace And Defense industry. This means that LHX's stock grew similarly to HII’s and somewhat faster than KTOS’s over the last 12 months.
HII's SMR Rating (60) in the Aerospace And Defense industry is in the same range as LHX (75) in the null industry, and is in the same range as KTOS (89) in the Aerospace And Defense industry. This means that HII's stock grew similarly to LHX’s and similarly to KTOS’s over the last 12 months.
HII's Price Growth Rating (46) in the Aerospace And Defense industry is in the same range as LHX (47) in the null industry, and is in the same range as KTOS (63) in the Aerospace And Defense industry. This means that HII's stock grew similarly to LHX’s and similarly to KTOS’s over the last 12 months.
KTOS's P/E Growth Rating (14) in the Aerospace And Defense industry is in the same range as HII (19) in the Aerospace And Defense industry, and is in the same range as LHX (25) in the null industry. This means that KTOS's stock grew similarly to HII’s and similarly to LHX’s over the last 12 months.
| HII | KTOS | LHX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 64% | 3 days ago 72% | N/A |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 53% | 3 days ago 82% | 3 days ago 49% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 58% | 3 days ago 78% | 3 days ago 59% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 66% | 3 days ago 87% | 3 days ago 51% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 62% | 3 days ago 79% | 3 days ago 52% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 53% | 3 days ago 73% | 3 days ago 57% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 5 days ago 60% | 5 days ago 79% | 14 days ago 54% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 55% | 3 days ago 72% | 3 days ago 51% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 56% | 3 days ago 77% | 3 days ago 68% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 58% | 3 days ago 78% | 3 days ago 52% |
Advertisement
| 1 Day | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ETFs / NAME | Price $ | Chg $ | Chg % |
| SBTU | 4.73 | 0.28 | +6.29% |
| T-REX 2X Long SBET Daily Target ETF | |||
| CEF | 50.70 | 1.09 | +2.20% |
| Sprott Physical Gold and Silver Trust | |||
| EUDV | 55.42 | 1.12 | +2.06% |
| ProShares MSCI Europe Dividend Gr ETF | |||
| RVER | 30.61 | 0.54 | +1.78% |
| Trenchless Fund ETF | |||
| RSPG | 99.01 | -2.85 | -2.80% |
| Invesco S&P 500® Equal Weight Energy ETF | |||
HII and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, HII has been loosely correlated with GD. These tickers have moved in lockstep 61% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if HII jumps, then GD could also see price increases.
KTOS and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, KTOS has been loosely correlated with KRMN. These tickers have moved in lockstep 60% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if KTOS jumps, then KRMN could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To KTOS | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KTOS | 100% | -4.60% | ||
| KRMN - KTOS | 60% Loosely correlated | -4.93% | ||
| AVAV - KTOS | 59% Loosely correlated | -5.23% | ||
| MRCY - KTOS | 56% Loosely correlated | -1.01% | ||
| DRS - KTOS | 55% Loosely correlated | -0.82% | ||
| HII - KTOS | 52% Loosely correlated | -0.34% | ||
More | ||||
LHX and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, LHX has been loosely correlated with GD. These tickers have moved in lockstep 61% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if LHX jumps, then GD could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To LHX | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LHX | 100% | -0.87% | ||
| GD - LHX | 61% Loosely correlated | +0.41% | ||
| HII - LHX | 59% Loosely correlated | -0.34% | ||
| NOC - LHX | 52% Loosely correlated | -1.12% | ||
| KTOS - LHX | 50% Loosely correlated | -4.60% | ||
| BWXT - LHX | 49% Loosely correlated | +2.16% | ||
More | ||||