We recently published a list of Goldman Sachs Defense Stocks: Top 12 Stock Picks. In this article, we will take a look at where Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) stands against other top defense stock picks from the Goldman Sachs Portfolio.
After a subdued start to the year, American defense stocks are beginning to see improved returns. Investors are buoyed by President Trump’s plans for a $1 trillion defense budget for fiscal 2026, adding to the momentum from last month’s unveiling of the F-47 and announcement to resurrect the country’s shipbuilding industry.
READ ALSO: 10 Best Mid Cap Defense Stocks to Buy According to Analysts and 10 Best Performing Defense Stocks So Far in 2025.
The sector has received another boost after market chatter that tariff negotiations to address trade imbalances could include commitments from foreign countries to buy weapons from the US. In a statement released on April 8, Vietnam’s prime minister asked for a 45-day delay in the imposition of tariffs and stated his country would buy more American goods, including weapons, to tackle the trade gap.
On April 11, Goldman analyst Noah Poponak adjusted his ratings and price targets for defense stocks, and the most notable adjustment was a prominent Navy shipbuilder receiving a double upgrade on the back of an executive order signed by Trump to revitalize the sector. Poponak expects the stock to benefit, with shipbuilding expected to be a high priority within the defense budget.
The firm is known for its expertise in stock recommendations, helping investors identify high-potential companies. GS boasts a vast network of analysts, covers a wide range of stocks. It also has a research team led by analysts and economists from around the world, offering insights on the economy and the broader market.
In a report released in March this year, Goldman Sachs Research projected a significant increase in defense spending by EU member nations. Military expenditure in the euro area accounted for 1.8% of the GDP in 2024, and is projected to rise to 2.4% by 2027. The firm’s analysts estimate the increased spending to positively impact GDP growth, with every €100 spent on defense to boost GDP by approximately €50.
Defense stocks have rallied in Europe this year, as regional capitals unlocked billions to supercharge their militaries. While recent tariffs have sparked a major plunge in shares over the past couple of weeks, this has been a year to remember for several European defense contractors, with significant returns so far in 2025.
With that said, let’s head over to the list of the top defense picks from the Goldman Sachs stock portfolio.
An aeronautics engineer inspecting a model aircraft engine in a factory setting.
Methodology
For this article, we scanned Goldman Sachs’ 13F portfolio as of December 31, 2024. From there, we picked the top 12 defense stocks according to their stake value and ranked them in ascending order.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).
Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC)
Stake Value as of Q4 2024: $342,671,759
Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) is one of the largest defense contractors in the world. The company is manufacturing the B-21 Raider for the US Air Force (USAF).
It is one of the top defense picks from the Goldman Sachs stock portfolio. As of December 31, the investing banking firm held positions valued at nearly $343 million in the company. On April 11, GS upgraded Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) from Sell to Neutral. It also raised the stock’s price target from $424 per share to $521. The analyst cited NOC’s long-term growth potential through projects like the B-21 and Sentinel as reasons behind the adjustment.
Investor sentiment in Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) remains strong. According to Insider Monkey’s database for Q4 2024, 54 hedge funds held a stake in the company, up from 48 at the end of the third quarter. The confidence is expected to continue amid chatter about countries moving to buy American planes and military hardware to address trade imbalances with the US.
Recent contract awards are also adding to the momentum. In April, the Royal Australian Air Force selected Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) to equip its C-130J fleet with the AN/ALQ-251 advanced radio frequency countermeasures system. The company was also awarded two national security contracts by the United States Space Force (USSF) for in-space refueling.
Wall Street analysts have a consensus Buy rating for Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) with an average share price upside potential of 4.40%.
Overall, NOC ranks 5th among the Goldman Sachs Defense Stocks: Top 12 Stock Picks. While we acknowledge the potential of defense companies, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than NOC but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.