NOC vs. RKLB: Northrop Grumman vs. Rocket Lab Stock Comparison

Company Profile

Northrop Grumman (NOC) and Rocket Lab (RKLB) are both classified in the Aerospace & Defense sub-industry within the broader Aerospace & Defense industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.

Northrop Grumman (NOC) has more than two decades of public-market history since December 31, 1981, whereas Rocket Lab (RKLB) listed on November 24, 2020 and has a much shorter record to draw on.

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

Trailing Returns

Calendar-Year Returns

Performance Metrics

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. Rocket Lab (RKLB) has a non-negative beta of 3.14.

Rocket Lab (RKLB) is heavily traded at around 19.51M shares per day, whereas Northrop Grumman (NOC) sees a more moderate 902.47K — larger orders in the latter may require more patience and tighter control over order sizing.

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Profitability

Rocket Lab (RKLB) reports a negative ROE of -7.92%; negative ROE can reflect losses or negative shareholders’ equity, so it is harder to read as capital efficiency. Meanwhile Northrop Grumman (NOC) reports 26.07%, ranking against industry peers normally.

Rocket Lab (RKLB) reports a negative net margin of -21.51%, usually indicating a net loss over the period. Meanwhile Northrop Grumman (NOC) reports 10.37%, ranking against industry peers normally.

Rocket Lab (RKLB) reports a negative operating margin of -24.57%, usually indicating that operating costs exceeded revenue at the operating-income line. Meanwhile Northrop Grumman (NOC) reports 12.91%, ranking against industry peers normally.

Profitability Metrics

Growth

Rocket Lab (RKLB) at 37.96% 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 RKLB.

Only one side can be read here: Northrop Grumman (NOC) reports EPS growth of 2.61%, ranked against its industry; Rocket Lab (RKLB) has no EPS growth figure this period.

Growth Metrics

Financial Strength

Rocket Lab (RKLB) at 5.48 carries current ratio above its industry’s typical mid-range, while Northrop Grumman (NOC) at 1.23 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — different working-capital profiles, both worth examining.

Rocket Lab (RKLB) at 0.04 keeps leverage in the lower industry quartile, while Northrop Grumman (NOC) at 0.93 runs a more typical debt-to-equity mix.

Financial Strength Metrics

Dividends

Rocket Lab (RKLB) 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.

Rocket Lab (RKLB) 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.

Dividend Metrics

Valuation

An earnings multiple is available for just one side: Northrop Grumman (NOC) trades at 16.57 times trailing earnings, ranked against its peers, while Rocket Lab (RKLB) has no P/E ratio this period.

Northrop Grumman (NOC) at 1.71 prices around its industry’s typical P/S ratio, while Rocket Lab (RKLB) at 44.12 clears its benchmark range — RKLB looks notably rich on sales.

Northrop Grumman (NOC) at 3.99 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while Rocket Lab (RKLB) at 9.09 carries an above-peer premium to book — RKLB is pricier on assets.

Valuation Metrics