Seek Returns

NOC vs. WSO.B: Northrop Grumman vs. Watsco Stock Comparison

How do Northrop Grumman (NOC) and Watsco (WSO.B) 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 Watsco (WSO.B) both fall under the Capital Goods industry group, but NOC is classified in Aerospace & Defense while WSO.B is classified in Trading Companies & Distributors.

Company profile comparison for Northrop Grumman (NOC) and Watsco (WSO.B)
Profile ItemNOCWSO.B
NameNorthrop Grumman CorporationWatsco Inc. Class B Common Stock
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorIndustrialsIndustrials
GICS Industry GroupCapital GoodsCapital Goods
GICS IndustryAerospace & DefenseTrading Companies & Distributors
GICS Sub-IndustryAerospace & DefenseTrading Companies & Distributors
Market Capitalization74.59 billion USD12.92 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateDecember 31, 1981March 17, 1980
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

NOC
WSO.B
GSPC
Loading price history…
Northrop Grumman (NOC) vs. Watsco (WSO.B), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

Loading price history…
Trailing total returns for Northrop Grumman (NOC) and Watsco (WSO.B). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

Loading price history…
Calendar-year total returns for Northrop Grumman (NOC) and Watsco (WSO.B). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Northrop Grumman (NOC) and Watsco (WSO.B)
MetricNOCWSO.B
Total Return (1Y)-3.34%-11.21%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)7.23%-3.05%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)9.98%4.30%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

NOC
WSO.B
GSPC
Loading price history…
Northrop Grumman (NOC) vs. Watsco (WSO.B), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

Loading price history…
Distribution of monthly total returns for Northrop Grumman (NOC) and Watsco (WSO.B). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

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. Watsco (WSO.B) has a non-negative beta of 0.64.

Risk profile metrics for Northrop Grumman (NOC) and Watsco (WSO.B)
MetricNOCWSO.B
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)28.86%40.28%
Beta (5Y)-0.120.64
Max Drawdown (5Y)-37.80%-43.41%
Avg. Volume (3M)902.47K74

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

Loading chart…
NOC and WSO.B are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Northrop Grumman (NOC) and Watsco (WSO.B)
MetricNOCWSO.B
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)-0.26-0.38
Sortino Ratio (1Y)-0.37-0.57

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Northrop Grumman (NOC) at 26.07% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Watsco (WSO.B) at 16.21% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for NOC.

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%

WSO.B

Capital Goods industry group

16.21%

Max
40.55%
Q3
19.29%
WSO.B
16.21%
Median
12.12%
Q1
4.08%
Min
-17.12%
Loading chart…
Northrop Grumman (NOC) vs. Watsco (WSO.B): A comparison of their ROE against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Both Northrop Grumman (NOC) at 10.37% and Watsco (WSO.B) at 6.31% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.

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%

WSO.B

Capital Goods industry group

6.31%

Max
27.47%
Q3
12.10%
WSO.B
6.31%
Median
6.30%
Q1
1.40%
Min
-12.89%
Loading chart…
Northrop Grumman (NOC) vs. Watsco (WSO.B): A comparison of their net margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Northrop Grumman (NOC) at 12.91% and Watsco (WSO.B) at 10.14% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.

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%

WSO.B

Capital Goods industry group

10.14%

Max
36.60%
Q3
18.33%
Median
11.12%
WSO.B
10.14%
Q1
5.14%
Min
-12.63%
Loading chart…
Northrop Grumman (NOC) vs. Watsco (WSO.B): A comparison of their operating margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Northrop Grumman (NOC) and Watsco (WSO.B)
MetricNOCWSO.B
ROE (TTM)26.07%16.21%
ROA (TTM)7.11%8.27%
Net Margin (TTM)10.37%6.31%
Operating Margin (TTM)12.91%10.14%
Gross Margin (TTM)20.03%27.18%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Northrop Grumman (NOC) at 2.24% is around its peer norm for revenue growth, while Watsco (WSO.B) at -4.98% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker demand or pricing momentum.

Loading chart…
Northrop Grumman (NOC) vs. Watsco (WSO.B): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Both Northrop Grumman (NOC) at 2.61% and Watsco (WSO.B) at -7.47% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

Loading chart…
Northrop Grumman (NOC) vs. Watsco (WSO.B): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Northrop Grumman (NOC) and Watsco (WSO.B)
MetricNOCWSO.B
Revenue Growth (YoY)2.24%-4.98%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)4.65%-0.16%
EPS Growth (YoY)2.61%-7.47%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)-2.60%-6.89%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Watsco (WSO.B) at 3.15 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.

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

WSO.B

Capital Goods industry group

3.15

Max
5.22
WSO.B
3.15
Q3
2.95
Median
2.08
Q1
1.43
Min
0.36
Loading chart…
Northrop Grumman (NOC) vs. Watsco (WSO.B): A comparison of their current ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Watsco (WSO.B) at 0.16 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

WSO.B

Capital Goods industry group

0.16

Max
2.33
Q3
1.12
Median
0.60
Q1
0.29
WSO.B
0.16
Min
0.00
Loading chart…
Northrop Grumman (NOC) vs. Watsco (WSO.B): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Northrop Grumman (NOC) and Watsco (WSO.B)
MetricNOCWSO.B
Current Ratio (MRQ)1.233.15
Debt / Equity (MRQ)0.930.16
Net Debt / EBITDA1.87-0.14

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Northrop Grumman (NOC) at 1.82% earns its spot in the top quartile of its industry’s yields; Watsco (WSO.B) at 4.02% is past the top of its own peer range — territory where a dividend-safety check matters more than the headline number.

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%

WSO.B

Capital Goods industry group

4.02%

WSO.B
4.02%
Max
2.66%
Q3
1.14%
Median
0.24%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
Loading chart…
Northrop Grumman (NOC) vs. Watsco (WSO.B): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Watsco (WSO.B) reports payout ratio above 100% at 109.66%, meaning dividends exceeded current-period earnings and sustainability needs extra context. Meanwhile Northrop Grumman (NOC) reports 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%

WSO.B

Capital Goods industry group

109.66%

WSO.B
109.66%
Max
67.39%
Q3
28.02%
Median
6.86%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
Loading chart…
Northrop Grumman (NOC) vs. Watsco (WSO.B): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Northrop Grumman (NOC) and Watsco (WSO.B)
MetricNOCWSO.B
Dividend Yield (TTM)1.82%4.02%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)30.18%109.66%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Northrop Grumman (NOC) at 16.57 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Watsco (WSO.B) at 27.26 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

WSO.B

Capital Goods industry group

27.26

Max
59.38
Q3
35.92
WSO.B
27.26
Median
25.41
Q1
19.47
Min
3.03
Loading chart…
Northrop Grumman (NOC) vs. Watsco (WSO.B): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

On P/S ratio, both Northrop Grumman (NOC) at 1.71 and Watsco (WSO.B) at 1.74 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

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

WSO.B

Capital Goods industry group

1.74

Max
7.54
Q3
3.76
Median
2.15
WSO.B
1.74
Q1
1.03
Min
0.03
Loading chart…
Northrop Grumman (NOC) vs. Watsco (WSO.B): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

On P/B ratio, both Northrop Grumman (NOC) at 3.99 and Watsco (WSO.B) at 3.99 are valued close to their industries’ norm against book — neither stands out from peers.

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

WSO.B

Capital Goods industry group

3.99

Max
9.66
Q3
5.00
WSO.B
3.99
Median
3.12
Q1
1.81
Min
-1.08
Loading chart…
Northrop Grumman (NOC) vs. Watsco (WSO.B): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Northrop Grumman (NOC) and Watsco (WSO.B)
MetricNOCWSO.B
P/E Ratio (TTM)16.5727.26
P/S Ratio (TTM)1.711.74
P/B Ratio (MRQ)3.993.99
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)4.21%3.50%