Top 5 defense stocks: LMT, BA NOC rise amid geopolitical tension

Highlights

• Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT) expects its net sales to be around US$66.00 billion in fiscal 2022.
  
  
• Raytheon Technologies Corporation (NYSE:RTX) expects its fiscal 2022 sales to be between US$68.5 billion and US$69.5 billion.
  
  
• Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) expects its sales to be between US$36.20 billion and US$36.60 billion in fiscal 2022

The US defense stocks gained traction as geopolitical tensions rose. These stocks stayed steady despite the wild swings in the market lately.

The following are the top five defense stocks drawing attention.

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Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT)

Lockheed Martin is an aerospace and defence equipment manufacturer that supplies weapons and security systems to the government. It is based in Bethesda, Maryland.

The shares of the company traded at US$390.76 at 12:51 pm ET on February 17, up 1.00% from their closing price of February 16. Its stock value increased by 14.81% over the past 12 months.

The firm has a market cap of US$106.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.16, and a forward one-year P/E ratio of 14.44. Its EPS is US$22.76.

The 52-week highest and lowest stock prices were US$398.85 and US$324.23, respectively. Its trading volume was 1,776,794 on February 16.

The company reported net sales of US$17.72 billion in Q4, FY21, compared to US$17.03 billion in the year-ago quarter. Its net earnings came in at US$2.04 billion, or US$7.47 per diluted share, compared to US$1.79 billion, or US$6.38 per diluted share in Q4, FY20.

For fiscal 2022, the company expects its net sales to be around US$66.00 billion, compared to US$67.04 billion in fiscal 2021.

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Source: Pixabay

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Raytheon Technologies Corporation (NYSE:RTX) 

Raytheon Technologies is one of the leading aerospace and defense conglomerates that offers defense and intelligence services globally. It is based in Waltham, Massachusetts.

The stock of the company traded at US$94.86 at 1:18 pm ET on February 17, up 0.12% from its previous closing price. The RTX stock rose 29.69% over the past 12 months.

The market cap of the company is US$141.45 billion, the P/E ratio is 36.88, and the forward one-year P/E ratio is 19.78. Its EPS is US$2.57.

The stock saw the highest price of US$96.96 and the lowest price of US$71.99 in the last 52 weeks. Its share volume on February 16 was 4,560,945.

The company's net sales rose 4% YoY to US$17.04 billion in Q4, FY21, while its net income came in at US$685 million, or US$0.46 per diluted share. For fiscal 2021, the company's revenue surged 14% YoY to US$64.38 billion.

The company expects its fiscal 2022 sales to be between US$68.5 billion and US$69.5 billion.

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General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD)

 General Dynamics is an aerospace and defense company based in Reston, Virginia. It is one of the largest defense contractors globally.

The shares of the company traded at US$215.085 at 1:29 pm ET on February 17, up 0.31% from their closing price of February 16. Its stock value jumped 30.12% over the past 12-months.

The firm has a market cap of US$59.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.62, and a forward one-year P/E ratio of 17.39. Its EPS is US$11.55.

The 52-week highest and lowest stock prices were US$216.21 and US$162.46, respectively. Its trading volume was 814,126 on February 16.

The company's revenue declined by 1.8% YoY to US$10.29 billion in Q4, FY21, while its net earnings came in at US$952 million, or US$3.39 per diluted share. For fiscal 2021, the company's revenue surged 1.4% YoY to US$38.46 billion.

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Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC)

Northrop Grumman is a leading aerospace and defense technology firm based in Falls Church, Virginia. It focuses on manufacturing weapons and provides military technology services globally.

The stock of the company traded at US$401.06 at 1:37 pm ET on February 17, up 1.88% from its previous closing price. The NOC stock surged 32.16% over the past 12 months.

The market cap of the company is US$62.49 billion, the P/E ratio is 9.18, and the forward one-year P/E ratio is 15.91. Its EPS is US$43.62.

The stock saw the highest price of US$408.97 and the lowest price of US$288.08 in the last 52 weeks. Its share volume on February 16 was 1,086,073.

The company's total sales plummeted 15% YoY to US$8.63 billion in Q4, FY21, while its net earnings came in at US$2.71 billion, or US$17.14 per diluted share. For fiscal 2021, the company's net sales decreased by 3% YoY to US$35.66 billion.

For fiscal 2022, the company expects its sales to be between US$36.20 billion and US$36.60 billion.

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Boeing Company (NYSE:BA)
Boeing is an aerospace company that focuses on designing, manufacturing, and selling aircraft, rockets, satellites, and other related products and services. It is based in Chicago, Illinois.

The shares of the company traded at US$215.125 at 1:51 pm ET on February 17, down by 1.74% from their closing price of February 16. Its stock value increased by 5.01% over the past 12-months.

The firm has a market cap of US$125.40 billion and a forward one-year P/E ratio of 62.20. Its EPS is US$-7.13.

The 52-week highest and lowest stock prices were US$278.57 and US$183.77, respectively. Its trading volume was 5,698,917 on February 16.

The company's revenue fell 3% YoY to US$14.79 billion in Q4, FY21, while its net loss came in at US$4.16 billion, or US$7.02 per share. For fiscal 2021, the company's net revenue rose 7% YoY to US$62.28 billion.

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Bottomline

The defense companies generate a major part of their revenue from the US. So, the stability in the Federal government provides some predictability to the investors regarding their growth potential. The S&P 500 Industrial sector gained 12% over the past 12 months.