NOC vs. NXT: Northrop Grumman vs. Nextracker Stock Comparison
How do Northrop Grumman (NOC) and Nextracker (NXT) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Northrop Grumman (NOC) and Nextracker (NXT) both fall under the Capital Goods industry group, but NOC is classified in Aerospace & Defense while NXT is classified in Electrical Equipment.
Northrop Grumman (NOC) has more than two decades of public-market history since December 31, 1981, whereas Nextracker (NXT) listed on February 9, 2023 and has a much shorter record to draw on.
| Profile Item | NOC | NXT |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Northrop Grumman Corporation | Nextpower Inc. Class A Common Stock |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| GICS Industry Group | Capital Goods | Capital Goods |
| GICS Industry | Aerospace & Defense | Electrical Equipment |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Aerospace & Defense | Electrical Components & Equipment |
| Market Capitalization | 74.59 billion USD | 16.00 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | December 31, 1981 | February 9, 2023 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | NOC | NXT |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -3.34% | 0.06% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 7.23% | 45.51% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 9.98% | -- |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Northrop Grumman (NOC) reports a negative beta of -0.12, suggesting inverse market sensitivity over the measurement window. That is uncommon for ordinary equities and can reflect commodity-linked or hedge-like exposure, but it can also come from statistical noise. Nextracker (NXT) has a non-negative beta of 1.66.
| Metric | NOC | NXT |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 28.86% | 68.10% |
| Beta (5Y) | -0.12 | 1.66 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -37.80% | -51.10% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 902.47K | 2.38M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | NOC | NXT |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.26 | -0.06 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.37 | -0.09 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both Northrop Grumman (NOC) at 26.07% and Nextracker (NXT) at 26.46% sit in the top peer quartile for ROE, suggesting each generates more profit from shareholders’ equity than typical industry peers.
NOC
Capital Goods industry group
26.07%
- Max
- 40.55%
- NOC
- 26.07%
- Q3
- 19.29%
- Median
- 12.12%
- Q1
- 4.08%
- Min
- -17.12%
NXT
Capital Goods industry group
26.46%
- Max
- 40.55%
- NXT
- 26.46%
- Q3
- 19.29%
- Median
- 12.12%
- Q1
- 4.08%
- Min
- -17.12%
Net Margin (TTM)
Nextracker (NXT) at 15.98% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Northrop Grumman (NOC) at 10.37%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.
NOC
Capital Goods industry group
10.37%
- Max
- 27.47%
- Q3
- 12.10%
- NOC
- 10.37%
- Median
- 6.30%
- Q1
- 1.40%
- Min
- -12.89%
NXT
Capital Goods industry group
15.98%
- Max
- 27.47%
- NXT
- 15.98%
- Q3
- 12.10%
- Median
- 6.30%
- Q1
- 1.40%
- Min
- -12.89%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Nextracker (NXT) at 20.06% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Northrop Grumman (NOC) at 12.91%, which runs around its industry’s norm.
NOC
Capital Goods industry group
12.91%
- Max
- 36.60%
- Q3
- 18.33%
- NOC
- 12.91%
- Median
- 11.12%
- Q1
- 5.14%
- Min
- -12.63%
NXT
Capital Goods industry group
20.06%
- Max
- 36.60%
- NXT
- 20.06%
- Q3
- 18.33%
- Median
- 11.12%
- Q1
- 5.14%
- Min
- -12.63%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | NOC | NXT |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 26.07% | 26.46% |
| ROA (TTM) | 7.11% | 10.75% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 10.37% | 15.98% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 12.91% | 20.06% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 20.03% | 21.84% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Nextracker (NXT) at 20.28% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Northrop Grumman (NOC) at 2.24% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for NXT.
EPS Growth
Both Northrop Grumman (NOC) at 2.61% and Nextracker (NXT) at 10.66% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | NOC | NXT |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 2.24% | 20.28% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 4.65% | 23.23% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 2.61% | 10.66% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -2.60% | 476.90% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Nextracker (NXT) at 2.23 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Northrop Grumman (NOC) at 1.23 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for NOC.
NOC
Capital Goods industry group
1.23
- Max
- 5.22
- Q3
- 2.95
- Median
- 2.08
- Q1
- 1.43
- NOC
- 1.23
- Min
- 0.36
NXT
Capital Goods industry group
2.23
- Max
- 5.22
- Q3
- 2.95
- NXT
- 2.23
- Median
- 2.08
- Q1
- 1.43
- Min
- 0.36
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Nextracker (NXT) at 0.02 keeps leverage in the lower industry quartile, while Northrop Grumman (NOC) at 0.93 runs a more typical debt-to-equity mix.
NOC
Capital Goods industry group
0.93
- Max
- 2.33
- Q3
- 1.12
- NOC
- 0.93
- Median
- 0.60
- Q1
- 0.29
- Min
- 0.00
NXT
Capital Goods industry group
0.02
- Max
- 2.33
- Q3
- 1.12
- Median
- 0.60
- Q1
- 0.29
- NXT
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | NOC | NXT |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.23 | 2.23 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.93 | 0.02 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 1.87 | -1.30 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Nextracker (NXT) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Northrop Grumman (NOC) reports a yield of 1.82%, ranking against industry peers normally.
NOC
Capital Goods industry group
1.82%
- Max
- 2.66%
- NOC
- 1.82%
- Q3
- 1.14%
- Median
- 0.24%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
NXT
Capital Goods industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 2.66%
- Q3
- 1.14%
- Median
- 0.24%
- NXT
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Nextracker (NXT) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Northrop Grumman (NOC) reports a payout of 30.18%, ranking against industry peers normally.
NOC
Capital Goods industry group
30.18%
- Max
- 67.39%
- NOC
- 30.18%
- Q3
- 28.02%
- Median
- 6.86%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
NXT
Capital Goods industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 67.39%
- Q3
- 28.02%
- Median
- 6.86%
- NXT
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | NOC | NXT |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.82% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 30.18% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Northrop Grumman (NOC) at 16.57 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Nextracker (NXT) at 26.42 is closer to its industry’s usual earnings multiple — a discount for NOC, though growth and earnings durability still matter.
NOC
Capital Goods industry group
16.57
- Max
- 59.38
- Q3
- 35.92
- Median
- 25.41
- Q1
- 19.47
- NOC
- 16.57
- Min
- 3.03
NXT
Capital Goods industry group
26.42
- Max
- 59.38
- Q3
- 35.92
- NXT
- 26.42
- Median
- 25.41
- Q1
- 19.47
- Min
- 3.03
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Northrop Grumman (NOC) at 1.71 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Nextracker (NXT) at 4.17 sits in the pricier quartile — NXT costs more per dollar of sales.
NOC
Capital Goods industry group
1.71
- Max
- 7.54
- Q3
- 3.76
- Median
- 2.15
- NOC
- 1.71
- Q1
- 1.03
- Min
- 0.03
NXT
Capital Goods industry group
4.17
- Max
- 7.54
- NXT
- 4.17
- Q3
- 3.76
- Median
- 2.15
- Q1
- 1.03
- Min
- 0.03
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Northrop Grumman (NOC) at 3.99 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while Nextracker (NXT) at 5.98 carries an above-peer premium to book — NXT is pricier on assets.
NOC
Capital Goods industry group
3.99
- Max
- 9.66
- Q3
- 5.00
- NOC
- 3.99
- Median
- 3.12
- Q1
- 1.81
- Min
- -1.08
NXT
Capital Goods industry group
5.98
- Max
- 9.66
- NXT
- 5.98
- Q3
- 5.00
- Median
- 3.12
- Q1
- 1.81
- Min
- -1.08
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | NOC | NXT |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 16.57 | 26.42 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 1.71 | 4.17 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 3.99 | 5.98 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 4.21% | 2.32% |