Defense & Aerospace Stocks
Defense contractors and aerospace manufacturers. Government-backed revenue streams, long-term contracts, and geopolitical tailwinds.
68 stocks
Updated Sep 22, 2026
$1.70T
Total Market Cap
50.6
Avg P/E Ratio
1.47%
Avg Dividend Yield
-0.75%
Avg Daily Change
Defense stocks represent companies that provide military equipment, technology, and services to government agencies worldwide. The sector benefits from long-term government contracts, predictable revenue streams, and growing global defense budgets driven by geopolitical tensions and modernization programs.
Major defense contractors include Lockheed Martin, RTX (Raytheon), Northrop Grumman, and General Dynamics. These companies build fighter jets, missile systems, naval vessels, satellites, and cybersecurity platforms. The sector also includes IT and services contractors like Leidos and Booz Allen Hamilton that support defense intelligence and logistics.
Defense spending has accelerated globally as NATO allies increase budgets and emerging threats drive modernization. This list tracks major defense and aerospace companies with prices, P/E ratios, dividend yields, and market caps updated daily.
| # | Symbol | Name | Price | Change % | P/E | Market Cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GE | GE Aerospace | $319.22 | +0.07% | 36.5 | 327.79B |
| 2 | RTX | Rtx Corp | $190.99 | -1.72% | 34.3 | 265.28B |
| 3 | BA | Boeing Co. | $197.72 | -1.71% | 64.5 | 156.94B |
| 4 | LMT | Lockheed Martin Corp | $522.34 | -2.44% | 19.8 | 124.19B |
| 5 | ESLT | Elbit Systems Ltd | $744.75 | -0.79% | 54.4 | 104.94B |
| 6 | GD | General Dynamics Corp | $343.39 | -2.97% | 21.4 | 95.93B |
| 7 | HWM | Howmet Aerospace Inc | $225.36 | -0.88% | 48.5 | 90.82B |
| 8 | NOC | Northrop Grumman Corp | $509.86 | -3.19% | 16.5 | 74.37B |
| 9 | TDG | Transdigm Group Inc | $1,112.42 | +0.25% | 28.0 | 59.70B |
| 10 | LHX | L3Harris Technologies Inc | $239.89 | -2.85% | 24.9 | 46.64B |
| 11 | RKLB | Rocket Lab Corp | $71.98 | +2.99% | — | 38.34B |
| 12 | AXON | Axon Enterprise Inc | $459.32 | +1.61% | 183.7 | 36.61B |
| 13 | HEI | Heico Corp | $307.77 | +1.56% | 41.3 | 34.99B |
| 14 | ATI | Ati Inc | $186.56 | -1.37% | 54.3 | 25.82B |
| 15 | CW | Curtiss-Wright Corp | $550.27 | -3.12% | 38.8 | 20.99B |
| 16 | CRS | Carpenter Technology | $400.02 | -0.71% | 38.0 | 20.16B |
| 17 | WWD | Woodward Inc | $326.14 | +0.30% | 36.1 | 19.91B |
| 18 | TXT | Textron Inc | $77.88 | -1.93% | 14.7 | 13.75B |
| 19 | BWXT | Bwx Technologies Inc | $144.51 | -2.01% | 37.8 | 13.41B |
| 20 | CAE | Cae Inc | $24.57 | +0.12% | 37.6 | 10.78B |
| 21 | HII | Huntington Ingalls Industrie | $270.95 | -1.87% | 16.1 | 10.66B |
| 22 | DRS | Leonardo Drs Inc | $37.15 | -2.11% | 30.7 | 9.87B |
| 23 | KTOS | Kratos Defense & Security | $46.97 | -3.33% | 291.4 | 9.00B |
| 24 | AVAV | Aerovironment Inc | $156.15 | -2.95% | — | 8.18B |
| 25 | SARO | Standardaero Inc | $22.78 | -0.44% | 22.8 | 7.38B |
| 26 | HXL | Hexcel Corp | $85.98 | -1.10% | 43.4 | 6.66B |
| 27 | LOAR | Loar Holdings Inc | $64.17 | -0.87% | 88.2 | 6.00B |
| 28 | VSEC | Vse Corp | $183.42 | +1.82% | 72.9 | 5.47B |
| 29 | MRCY | Mercury Systems Inc | $83.88 | -2.07% | — | 5.25B |
| 30 | BETA | Beta Technologies Inc -Cl A | $23.28 | +5.48% | — | 5.04B |
| 31 | KRMN | Karman Holdings Inc | $33.50 | -4.86% | 125.7 | 4.67B |
| 32 | AIR | Aar Corp | $117.75 | +1.28% | 24.1 | 4.51B |
| 33 | ACHR | Archer Aviation Inc-A | $5.69 | +4.79% | — | 4.21B |
| 34 | FLY | Firefly Aerospace Inc | $23.35 | +2.28% | — | 3.58B |
| 35 | LUNR | Intuitive Machines Inc | $16.24 | +3.31% | — | 3.21B |
| 36 | ATRO | Astronics Corp | $68.62 | +4.43% | 34.6 | 2.74B |
| 37 | RDW | Redwire Corp | $11.35 | +5.68% | — | 2.68B |
| 38 | DCO | Ducommun Inc | $168.09 | +1.11% | — | 2.49B |
| 39 | VVX | V2X Inc | $76.84 | +0.54% | 24.7 | 2.26B |
| 40 | VOYG | Voyager Technologies Inc-A | $37.96 | +0.80% | — | 2.06B |
| 41 | CDRE | Cadre Holdings Inc | $26.29 | +0.73% | 31.2 | 1.12B |
| 42 | NPK | National Presto Inds Inc | $148.58 | -2.30% | 33.8 | 1.09B |
| 43 | RCAT | Red Cat Holdings Inc | $6.91 | -0.58% | — | 1.08B |
| 44 | SATL | Satellogic Inc-A | $5.42 | -2.87% | — | 792.53M |
| 45 | EVEX | Eve Holding Inc | $2.13 | +1.91% | — | 712.65M |
| 46 | PKE | Park Aerospace Corp | $30.34 | -0.49% | 52.1 | 663.19M |
| 47 | TATT | Tat Technologies Ltd | $38.01 | +0.80% | 29.9 | 490.16M |
| 48 | SPCE | Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc | $3.31 | +0.00% | — | 444.18M |
| 49 | ISSC | Innovative Solutions & Supp | $18.39 | +0.05% | 22.8 | 387.88M |
| 50 | DPRO | Draganfly Inc | $5.53 | -2.47% | — | 283.44M |
| 51 | ASLE | Aersale Corp | $5.51 | +0.73% | — | 257.72M |
| 52 | AZ | A2Z Cust2Mate Solutions Corp | $5.65 | +0.00% | — | 248.75M |
| 53 | AIRO | Airo Group Holdings Inc | $7.24 | +0.84% | — | 227.83M |
| 54 | SIDU | Sidus Space Inc-Cl A | $1.97 | -2.48% | — | 201.94M |
| 55 | SIF | Sifco Industries | $21.45 | -3.38% | 33.0 | 131.09M |
| 56 | EVTL | Vertical Aerospace Ltd | $0.62 | -1.74% | 128.5 | 112.10M |
| 57 | HOVR | New Horizon Aircraft Ltd | $1.66 | -0.60% | — | 111.43M |
| 58 | FJET | Starfighters Space Inc | $1.64 | -11.35% | — | 103.67M |
| 59 | MNTS | Momentus Inc | $4.36 | -2.68% | — | 95.32M |
| 60 | SPAI | Safe Pro Group Inc | $4.37 | -4.17% | — | 88.99M |
| 61 | BYRN | Byrna Technologies Inc | $3.68 | -2.65% | — | 88.47M |
| 62 | OPXS | Optex Systems Holdings Inc | $10.50 | -0.10% | 19.0 | 73.71M |
| 63 | CVU | Cpi Aerostructures Inc | $5.07 | -0.78% | 18.3 | 68.24M |
| 64 | VTSI | Virtra Inc | $2.90 | +0.00% | — | 33.73M |
| 65 | VWAV | Visionwave Holdings Inc | $5.54 | -10.67% | — | 13.47M |
| 66 | AIRI | Air Industries Group | $2.64 | -0.38% | — | 12.95M |
| 67 | SYNX | Silynxcom Ltd | $0.91 | +2.37% | — | 5.46M |
| 68 | DFSC | Defsec Technologies Inc | $1.22 | -1.61% | — | 4.56M |
Related ETFs
Exchange-traded funds that provide diversified exposure to the defense & aerospace stocks sector.
ITA
iShares
0.40% ER
iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF
Tracks U.S. aerospace and defense companies. Includes both military contractors and commercial aerospace.
PPA
Invesco
0.58% ER
Invesco Aerospace & Defense ETF
Broader A&D exposure including defense subcontractors and smaller defense technology companies.
XAR
SPDR
0.35% ER
SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF
Equal-weighted aerospace and defense ETF. Gives smaller defense firms more representation than cap-weighted funds.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are defense stocks?
Defense stocks are shares in companies that provide military products and services. Leading names include Lockheed Martin (LMT), RTX Corporation (RTX), Northrop Grumman (NOC), General Dynamics (GD), and L3Harris Technologies (LHX). The sector also encompasses defense IT providers like Leidos (LDOS) and Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH). These companies derive most revenue from government defense contracts.
Are defense stocks a good investment?
Defense stocks offer stability and predictability because government contracts provide multi-year revenue visibility. They typically pay growing dividends and exhibit lower volatility than the broader market. Defense spending tends to be resilient even during recessions since national security is a priority. Risks include budget sequestration, program cancellations, and political shifts that could reduce military spending.
How do defense stocks perform during wars?
Defense stocks often rise during periods of geopolitical conflict as investors anticipate increased military spending. However, the relationship is not straightforward — much depends on whether conflicts lead to actual budget increases and new contracts. The Russia-Ukraine conflict triggered significant defense stock gains as NATO countries committed to spending targets. Long-term performance depends more on sustained budget growth than short-term conflict headlines.
Do defense stocks pay dividends?
Yes, most major defense companies pay consistent and growing dividends. Lockheed Martin, RTX, Northrop Grumman, and General Dynamics all have long track records of annual dividend increases. Yields typically range from 1.5% to 3%. Defense companies also conduct significant share buyback programs, adding to total shareholder returns. The combination of reliable dividends and contract-driven earnings makes them popular with income investors.
What drives defense stock prices?
Key drivers include government defense budget levels, major contract awards, geopolitical tensions, and earnings results. The U.S. defense budget exceeds $800 billion annually and has grown consistently. International defense spending is accelerating as allies meet NATO's 2% GDP target. Company-specific factors include program execution, backlog growth, margin improvement, and success in winning competitive procurements.
What is the defense backlog?
The defense backlog represents the total value of contracts awarded but not yet completed. It provides visibility into future revenue — a large, growing backlog suggests years of assured work. Major contractors like Lockheed Martin carry backlogs exceeding $150 billion. Investors monitor backlog trends as a leading indicator of revenue growth. A book-to-bill ratio above 1.0 means new orders exceed current revenue, signaling sustainable growth.
Are defense stocks recession-proof?
Defense stocks are considered relatively recession-resistant because military spending is driven by national security needs rather than economic cycles. During the 2008-2009 recession, defense stocks outperformed the broader market significantly. However, they are not completely immune — budget sequestration in 2013 reduced defense spending and hurt stock prices. The sector's stable contract revenue and government-funded demand provide a buffer against economic downturns.
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