This article looks at the defense stocks that are declining this week.
American defense stocks slumped last month after President Trump mentioned he could significantly cut defense spending in the future. He made these comments in the context of a potential future conference with China and Russia to discuss cutting defense expenditure to spend the money in other areas:
“At some point, when things settle down, I’m going to meet with China and I’m going to meet with Russia, in particular those two, and I’m going to say there’s no reason for us to be spending almost $1 trillion on the military and I’m going to say we can spend this on other things.”
READ ALSO: 11 Best American Defense Stocks to Buy Now and 13 Best Defense Stocks to Buy According to Billionaires.
The defense industry has been shaky since Trump’s return to the White House, amid mixed statements on military expenditure during his election campaign and in the early days of his second stint. The creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by Elon Musk, is also reshaping investors’ views of the industry.
On March 3, the Pentagon, working with DOGE, found some $80 million in what it deemed wasteful funding, which included funds devoted to diversity, equity and inclusion programs, and climate change research. Press Secretary Sean Parnell made the following remarks in a statement posted on X while stating these actions were ‘just the start’:
“This stuff is not a core function of our military. This is a distraction. We believe that these initial findings will probably save $80 million in wasteful spending.”
Byron Callan, managing partner at Capital Alpha Partners, believes there is a high level of uncertainty in the U.S. defense sector related to current and future programs and the likelihood of severe cuts to government workforces.
In contrast, defense stocks in Europe have rallied this year, with several armament manufacturers seeing double-digit growth, and some even reaching record highs, as governments faced pressures to increase military expenditure.
Washington has repeatedly called for Europe to spend more on defense while stressing that the US could no longer foot the bill. EU leaders met in Brussels last week to discuss the ‘ReArm Europe Plan’, which will allow the bloc to mobilize funds up to $860 million through bonds and relaxed rules on borrowing and spending.
According to a Financial Times report on February 24, shares of the six largest American defense companies had fallen 4% under Trump’s second term. Whereas, Europe’s top defense groups returned gains of around 40% during the same period.
Despite a grim outlook, Citi analyst, Jason Gursky, is urging investors that this is the right time to buy American defense stocks. Here is what he wrote in a note to clients on March 5:
“We recognize the world order is evolving under the current President, perhaps to a multi-polar one in which three countries control spheres of influence over the Americas, Europe and Asia. However, we don’t view that world to be any less dangerous or one that decreases the need to acquire the tools of deterrence.”
Let’s now head over to the list of defense stocks that are declining this week. Please note that the stocks listed are based on one week’s performance. Our analysis does not reflect the prospects of the company. Their share price could go high or low in the future, depending on the external market conditions, industry-specific challenges, and the company’s capabilities. Additional research and caution are advised before making investment decisions.
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Methodology
For this article, we went through screeners to see how stocks in the aerospace and defense industry performed over the past week (March 10-14). From there, we picked the top 10 defense stocks with the highest percentage decline in share price during this period. All data is as of the close of business on Friday, March 14, 2025.
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10. CAE Inc. (NYSE:CAE)
Weekly Decline: -3.26%
CAE Inc. (NYSE:CAE) is a technology company specializing in simulation training and critical operations support solutions. It operates in two segments: Civil Aviation and Defense and Security.
The stock surged 14% after the company reported impressive results for the third quarter of fiscal 2025 on February 13. However, over the past month, CAE Inc. (NYSE:CAE)’s shares have steadily dipped and have now returned to the levels they were trading at prior to the earnings call, likely due to market correction.
CAE Inc. (NYSE:CAE) is among the defense stocks that are declining this week, with a 3.46% fall over the period. Despite the dip, most analysts maintain a consensus Buy rating for the stock, amid improved defense margins and a positive outlook for the Civil Aviation division.
9. Coda Octopus Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:CODA)
Weekly Decline: -3.36%
Coda Octopus Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:CODA) is an established supplier to the Underwater/Subsea market. It sells technologies and equipment for 3D imaging, mapping, defense, and survey applications.
The stock has slumped by 16% over the past month after it announced results for fiscal 2024. Despite reporting a 5% increase in annual revenue and an improvement in its gross profit margin, Coda Octopus Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:CODA) saw a significant reduction in revenue from American defense programs.
Coda Octopus Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:CODA) also stated that the uncertainty around the policies of the new administration related to defense programs, tariffs, and offshore renewables had resulted in many projects being put on hold, which is likely to adversely affect Q1 2025 results. CODA’s share price has dipped 3.36% over the past week in the run up to the first quarter earnings call on March 17.
