Investing IdeasBrowse All StocksMarkets
Have your own idea? Try our Stock Screener
Header cover image

U.S. Aerospace and Defense Industry Analysis

UpdatedAug 21, 2026
DataAggregated Company Financials
Companies109
  • 7D-5.0%
  • 3M5.1%
  • 1Y21.0%
  • YTDn/a

Over the last 7 days, the Aerospace and Defense industry has dropped 5.0%, driven by General Electric declining 4.4%. Meanwhile, National Presto Industries actually outperformed within the industry, gaining 9.4% in the last week. This takes the industry's 12 month performance to a gain of 21%. Earnings are forecast to grow by 18% annually.

Industry Valuation and Performance

Has the U.S. Aerospace and Defense Industry valuation changed over the past few years?

DateMarket CapRevenueEarningsPEAbsolute PEPS
Sat, 22 Aug 2026US$1.8tUS$546.3bUS$40.3b39.9x44.9x3.3x
Mon, 20 Jul 2026US$1.7tUS$532.9bUS$37.5b38.1x44.8x3.1x
Wed, 17 Jun 2026US$1.8tUS$530.2bUS$37.1b39.9x48.9x3.4x
Fri, 15 May 2026US$1.7tUS$529.1bUS$37.8b35.4x43.8x3.1x
Sun, 12 Apr 2026US$1.6tUS$511.7bUS$36.3b38.6x45.3x3.2x
Tue, 10 Mar 2026US$1.7tUS$511.1bUS$35.6b44x48.6x3.4x
Thu, 05 Feb 2026US$1.7tUS$509.4bUS$35.5b39.7x47.2x3.3x
Sat, 03 Jan 2026US$1.3tUS$410.0bUS$32.0b39.3x42.1x3.3x
Mon, 01 Dec 2025US$1.3tUS$409.5bUS$32.4b38.3x40x3.2x
Wed, 29 Oct 2025US$1.4tUS$406.8bUS$32.5b40.6x42.1x3.4x
Fri, 26 Sep 2025US$1.3tUS$395.8bUS$31.0b37.6x41x3.2x
Sun, 24 Aug 2025US$1.2tUS$394.0bUS$31.0b34.7x38.6x3x
Tue, 22 Jul 2025US$1.2tUS$389.2bUS$30.6b35.9x38.8x3.1x
Thu, 19 Jun 2025US$1.1tUS$387.0bUS$29.9b34.2x37.1x2.9x
Sat, 17 May 2025US$1.0tUS$386.7bUS$30.0b33.9x34.8x2.7x
Mon, 14 Apr 2025US$922.5bUS$377.4bUS$28.8b29.2x32x2.4x
Wed, 12 Mar 2025US$919.9bUS$376.9bUS$30.1b31.2x30.6x2.4x
Fri, 07 Feb 2025US$947.2bUS$375.6bUS$29.9b33.3x31.7x2.5x
Sun, 05 Jan 2025US$889.1bUS$403.7bUS$28.0b33.4x31.8x2.2x
Tue, 03 Dec 2024US$955.3bUS$403.8bUS$27.8b34.9x34.3x2.4x
Thu, 31 Oct 2024US$916.2bUS$402.9bUS$27.7b34.4x33.1x2.3x
Sat, 28 Sep 2024US$916.1bUS$388.9bUS$23.3b34.6x39.4x2.4x
Mon, 26 Aug 2024US$882.7bUS$388.4bUS$23.2b33.7x38x2.3x
Wed, 24 Jul 2024US$813.4bUS$381.3bUS$24.0b38.2x33.9x2.1x
Fri, 21 Jun 2024US$804.8bUS$381.1bUS$23.9b32.4x33.7x2.1x
Sun, 19 May 2024US$806.8bUS$380.8bUS$23.8b30.8x33.9x2.1x
Tue, 16 Apr 2024US$765.4bUS$371.9bUS$27.6b30x27.7x2.1x
Thu, 14 Mar 2024US$582.1bUS$303.9bUS$18.7b31.4x31.2x1.9x
Sat, 10 Feb 2024US$566.0bUS$302.8bUS$18.4b29.7x30.8x1.9x
Mon, 08 Jan 2024US$575.2bUS$302.1bUS$20.9b27.1x27.5x1.9x
Wed, 06 Dec 2023US$571.7bUS$301.6bUS$20.9b27.9x27.4x1.9x
Fri, 03 Nov 2023US$546.8bUS$301.1bUS$20.5b28.5x26.6x1.8x
Sun, 01 Oct 2023US$518.8bUS$306.0bUS$22.5b26.4x23x1.7x
Tue, 29 Aug 2023US$551.1bUS$305.7bUS$22.8b25.4x24.2x1.8x
Price to Earnings Ratio

24.2x


Total Market Cap: US$551.1bTotal Earnings: US$22.8bTotal Revenue: US$305.7bTotal Market Cap vs Earnings and Revenue0%0%0%
U.S. Aerospace and Defense Industry Price to Earnings3Y Average 36.2x202420252026
Current Industry PE
  • Investors are optimistic on the American Aerospace and Defense industry, and appear confident in long term growth rates.
  • The industry is trading at a PE ratio of 44.9x which is higher than its 3-year average PE of 36.2x.
  • The 3-year average PS ratio of 2.6x is lower than the industry's current PS ratio of 3.3x.
Past Earnings Growth
  • The earnings for companies in the Aerospace and Defense industry have grown 21% per year over the last three years.
  • Revenues for these companies have grown 21% per year.
  • This means that more sales are being generated by these companies overall, and subsequently their profits are increasing too.

Industry Comparison

How does U.S. Aerospace and Defense compare with similar industries?

US Market-2.09%
Industrials-3.75%
Aerospace & Defense-4.98%
Aerospace and Defense-4.98%
Industry PEThere are no additional sub-industries under this industry.
Forecasted GrowthThere are no additional sub-industries under this industry.

Top Stock Gainers and Losers

Which companies have driven the market over the last 7 days?

CompanyLast Price7D1YValuation
AXON Axon EnterpriseUS$627.752.4%
+US$1.2b		-18.1%PE255.9x
NPK National Presto IndustriesUS$149.957.2%
+US$72.0m		36.5%PE25x
FJET Starfighters SpaceUS$3.90-8.0%
US$27.2m		n/aPB7.2x
SWMR SwarmerUS$42.492.1%
+US$10.3m		n/aPS1655.3x
SIF SIFCO IndustriesUS$21.025.1%
+US$6.4m		196.1%PE33.6x

Latest News

BA
US$214.20
Boeing
7D
-7.5%
1Y
-6.9%
NOC
US$551.03
Northrop Grumman
7D
-5.9%
1Y
-7.0%
HWM
US$271.68
Howmet Aerospace
7D
-6.1%
1Y
58.9%
Seeking Alpha • Aug 20

Howmet Aerospace: Q2 Results Reinforce The Buy Case

Summary Howmet Aerospace maintains strong earnings momentum, with Q2 2026 revenue up 24% and guidance raised across all key metrics. HWM's commercial aerospace and spares segments benefit from robust aircraft backlogs and aging fleets, supporting durable multi-year growth. Industrial gas turbines (IGT) are emerging as a significant multi-year driver, with visible demand and HWM holding over 50% of the global share in turbine blades. Despite a premium valuation, I remain comfortable with a buy rating, as strong demand visibility and earnings growth offset potential multiple compression. Read the full article on Seeking Alpha
LHX
US$266.73
L3Harris Technologies
7D
-8.6%
1Y
-3.3%
RKLB
US$72.57
Rocket Lab
7D
-9.6%
1Y
63.5%
Narrative Update • Aug 18

RKLB: Defense Contract Execution Will Test Vertically Integrated Platform Narrative

Rocket Lab's updated analyst price target has moved higher to $70.66 from $66.70, as analysts point to expanding national security contracts, the planned Iridium acquisition, and progress on the Neutron launch vehicle as key supports for the revised valuation assumptions. Analyst Commentary Recent Street research on Rocket Lab shows a broadly constructive view, with several firms lifting price targets and highlighting contract wins, backlog growth, and the planned Iridium acquisition.
SWMR
US$42.49
Swarmer
7D
2.1%
1Y
n/a
Seeking Alpha • Aug 18

Swarmer: Taking A Small Stake Here As The Growth Plan Becomes More Clear

Summary Swarmer is a high-margin SaaS play targeting the autonomous drone market, with a unique software-only business model. Despite a recent earnings miss, SWMR maintains strong growth prospects, aiming for $40 million in revenue by 2028 and 80%+ gross margins. SWMR’s flagship Trident OS has proven deployment in Ukraine, supporting recurring revenues and a $355 million near-term market opportunity. I rate SWMR a buy for its disruptive potential, scalable contracts, and robust balance sheet, despite near-term valuation and dilution risks. Read the full article on Seeking Alpha
GE
US$348.37
General Electric
7D
-5.4%
1Y
30.7%
RTX
US$209.91
RTX
7D
-5.9%
1Y
34.4%
FJET
US$3.90
Starfighters Space
7D
-8.0%
1Y
n/a
NPK
US$149.95
National Presto Industries
7D
7.2%
1Y
36.5%
LMT
US$563.57
Lockheed Martin
7D
-7.4%
1Y
26.3%
SIF
US$21.02
SIFCO Industries
7D
5.1%
1Y
196.1%
AXON
US$627.75
Axon Enterprise
7D
2.4%
1Y
-18.1%
Narrative Update • Aug 11

AXON: World Cup Booking Boom Will Eventually Strain Frothy Expectations

Axon Enterprise's fair value estimate has increased from $409.68 to $475.11 as analysts cite higher price targets grounded in strong Q2 bookings, growing contract visibility, and increased contributions from areas such as AI Era, Dedrone, and major law enforcement and World Cup related deployments. Analyst Commentary Recent Street research on Axon Enterprise reflects a wide range of views on where the stock should trade, even as many firms lift their price targets following Q2 results.
DUKR
US$5.55
DUKE Robotics
7D
0.4%
1Y
-34.9%