Advertisement
HII or LHX or NOC
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) vs. L3Harris Technologies (LHX) vs. Northrop Grumman (NOC) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- HII leads with over 100% one-year returns and a $53 billion backlog, driven by naval shipbuilding demand.
- LHX shows 22% YTD gains, supported by $27.5 billion in orders and defense electronics growth.
- NOC posts strong 24-29% YTD performance amid a $95.7 billion backlog and geopolitical catalysts.
- All three benefit from rising defense spending, but HII exhibits superior relative momentum in recent market activity.
- Recent earnings beats across the board highlight operational strength, with sector tailwinds favoring sustained growth.
- AI analysis favors HII for trend consistency and lower volatility in the current environment.
Introduction
This comparison examines HII, LHX, and NOC, key players in the defense sector amid elevated geopolitical tensions and increased U.S. military budgets. These firms specialize in shipbuilding, electronics, and aerospace systems, respectively, making them relevant for investors seeking exposure to stable, government-backed revenue streams. Traders focused on relative performance and momentum will find value in analyzing their recent price behavior, backlogs, and sector positioning, as defense spending trends support long-term resilience in volatile markets.
HII Overview and Recent Performance
HII, the largest U.S. military shipbuilder, designs and constructs nuclear-powered ships and submarines through its Newport News and Ingalls divisions. Recent market activity has propelled shares to all-time highs near $453, with one-year returns exceeding 100% and YTD gains around 20-26%. Key drivers include a $53.14 billion backlog, strong Q4 2025 earnings with EPS of $4.04 beating estimates, and contracts like a $95.7 million USS Nimitz award. Workforce investments and naval modernization demand have boosted sentiment, though shares pulled back modestly in recent weeks amid broader sector rotation. Performance reflects robust submarine demand and easing production issues.
LHX Overview and Recent Performance
LHX, or L3Harris Technologies, provides integrated defense technologies including communications, missile systems, and space solutions. Shares have advanced 22% YTD and 66-84% over the past year, supported by full-year 2025 revenue of $21.9 billion (up 5% organically) and a record $27.5 billion orders backlog. Q4 results showed non-GAAP EPS of $2.86 topping forecasts, despite minor revenue timing delays from government factors. Recent wins like a $400 million THAAD contract underscore missile defense strength. Sentiment remains positive on AI-driven solutions and 7% organic growth guidance for 2026, with shares exhibiting steady momentum in recent weeks.
NOC Overview and Recent Performance
NOC, Northrop Grumman, excels in aerospace, missile defense, and space systems, with segments spanning aeronautics to mission solutions. The stock has risen 24-29% YTD and 44% over the past year, fueled by a $95.7 billion backlog and Q4 2025 EPS of $7.23 surpassing estimates. Geopolitical tensions and programs like the B-21 bomber drive demand, with recent industry summits highlighting collaboration. Shares experienced modest recent-week pullbacks but maintain strength from mid-single-digit revenue growth outlook and $3.1-3.5 billion free cash flow guidance. Performance underscores positioning in high-priority defense areas.
Trending AI Robots
Tickeron’s Trending AI Robots page showcases the platform's top-performing AI trading bots, curated from hundreds available that trade thousands of tickers across diverse strategies, timeframes, and styles. Only those demonstrating superior adaptability to current market conditions—such as annualized returns from 63% to 279%, win rates up to 93%, and profit factors exceeding 2.0—earn a spot in this dynamic section. For instance, defense-focused bots have captured sector rallies with low drawdowns, posting gains like +25.97% YTD. These multi-agent systems leverage advanced Financial Learning Models for pattern recognition and risk management. Explore the page to identify bots aligning with your trading approach and subscribe for automated signal delivery.
Head-to-Head Comparison
HII, LHX, and NOC operate in overlapping defense ecosystems but diverge in focus: HII's shipbuilding yields specialized naval exposure with a $53 billion backlog, contrasting NOC's broader $95.7 billion across space and missiles, and LHX's $27.5 billion in electronics. Growth drivers include geopolitical demand, with HII leading one-year momentum (100%+), NOC at 44%, and LHX at 66-84%. Risk factors encompass program delays and budget scrutiny, though all show earnings beats. Valuation sensitivity favors HII's lower P/E amid naval priorities, while LHX trades at a premium for growth. Market sentiment tilts toward shipbuilding stability versus diversified scale.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron’s AI currently favors HII due to its superior trend consistency, outsized relative performance, and alignment with sustained naval catalysts. While LHX and NOC offer scale and backlog depth, HII's lower volatility and recent momentum position it probabilistically stronger in the near term, based on observable patterns in defense sector flows.
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 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 whileLHX’s FA Score has 3 green FA rating(s), and NOC’s FA Score reflects 1 green FA rating(s).
- HII’s FA Score: 3 green, 2 red.
- LHX’s FA Score: 3 green, 2 red.
- NOC’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 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 LHX’s TA Score has 3 bullish TA indicator(s), and NOC’s TA Score reflects 4 bullish TA indicator(s).
- HII’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 6 bearish.
- LHX’s TA Score: 3 bullish, 6 bearish.
- NOC’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 5 bearish.
Price Growth
HII (@Aerospace & Defense) experienced а +0.10% price change this week, while LHX (@Aerospace & Defense) price change was -0.92% , and NOC (@Aerospace & Defense) price fluctuated -1.26% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Aerospace & Defense industry was +2.22%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +11.36%, and the average quarterly price growth was +30.07%.
Reported Earning Dates
HII is expected to report earnings on May 05, 2026.
LHX is expected to report earnings on Apr 30, 2026.
NOC is expected to report earnings on Apr 21, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Aerospace & Defense (+2.22% 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 | LHX | NOC | |
| Capitalization | 15.4B | 65.1B | 93.3B |
| EBITDA | 1.21B | 3.75B | 7.21B |
| Gain YTD | 16.459 | 19.757 | 15.586 |
| P/E Ratio | 25.48 | 40.86 | 22.59 |
| Revenue | 12.5B | 21.9B | 42B |
| Total Cash | 774M | 1.07B | 4.4B |
| Total Debt | 2.92B | 11.1B | 17B |
HII | LHX | NOC | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 50 | 50 | 50 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 15 Undervalued | 31 Undervalued | 63 Fair valued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 30 | 28 | 10 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 60 | 75 | 35 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 46 | 47 | 55 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 19 | 25 | 42 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 75 | 50 | 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 somewhat better than the same rating for NOC (63) in the Aerospace And Defense industry. This means that HII's stock grew similarly to LHX’s and somewhat faster than NOC’s over the last 12 months.
NOC's Profit vs Risk Rating (10) in the Aerospace And Defense industry is in the same range as LHX (28) in the null industry, and is in the same range as HII (30) in the Aerospace And Defense industry. This means that NOC's stock grew similarly to LHX’s and similarly to HII’s over the last 12 months.
NOC's SMR Rating (35) in the Aerospace And Defense industry is in the same range as HII (60) in the Aerospace And Defense industry, and is somewhat better than the same rating for LHX (75) in the null industry. This means that NOC's stock grew similarly to HII’s and somewhat faster than LHX’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 NOC (55) in the Aerospace And Defense industry. This means that HII's stock grew similarly to LHX’s and similarly to NOC’s over the last 12 months.
HII's P/E Growth Rating (19) in the Aerospace And Defense industry is in the same range as LHX (25) in the null industry, and is in the same range as NOC (42) in the Aerospace And Defense industry. This means that HII's stock grew similarly to LHX’s and similarly to NOC’s over the last 12 months.
| HII | LHX | NOC | |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 64% | N/A | 4 days ago 69% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 53% | 4 days ago 49% | 4 days ago 54% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 58% | 4 days ago 59% | 4 days ago 36% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 66% | 4 days ago 51% | N/A |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 62% | 4 days ago 52% | 4 days ago 42% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 53% | 4 days ago 57% | 4 days ago 32% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 6 days ago 60% | 15 days ago 54% | 19 days ago 60% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 55% | 4 days ago 51% | 4 days ago 43% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 56% | 4 days ago 68% | 4 days ago 57% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 58% | 4 days ago 52% | 4 days ago 30% |
Advertisement
| 1 Day | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ETFs / NAME | Price $ | Chg $ | Chg % |
| SPTE | 40.14 | 0.93 | +2.37% |
| SP Funds S&P Global Technology ETF | |||
| EZU | 68.22 | 1.18 | +1.76% |
| iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF | |||
| LQTI | 19.70 | 0.02 | +0.10% |
| FT Vest Investment Grade & Target Income ETF | |||
| ULST | 40.47 | 0.03 | +0.06% |
| State Street® Ultra Short Term Bond ETF | |||
| WCEO | 35.27 | N/A | N/A |
| Hypatia Women CEO ETF | |||
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 | ||||
NOC and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, NOC has been loosely correlated with RTX. These tickers have moved in lockstep 58% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if NOC jumps, then RTX could also see price increases.