Top 10 defense and aerospace stocks in the US, ranked by X-Ray score
12 S&P 500 defense and aerospace stocks pass our data checks and are ranked on the X-Ray score. The top 10 are shown. The ranking follows fixed rules and is not a recommendation: high-ranking stocks can still fall. Scores as of 22 Oct 2026.
GD General Dynamics Corp
- Highest profitability score on the list
- Second-highest financial health score on the list
- Third-highest valuation score on the list
- Fair-value check: Fair (+6% vs fair value range)
out of 100
Ranks 2 to 10
-
2
TXTTextron Inc
65
- Valuation
- 91
- Growth
- 48
- Profit
- 45
- Health
- 88
-
3
LHXL3harris Technologies, Inc.
60
- Valuation
- 89
- Growth
- 55
- Profit
- 40
- Health
- 63
-
4
TDGTransDigm Group INC
57
- Valuation
- 61
- Growth
- 85
- Profit
- 45
- Health
- 39
-
5
LMTLockheed Martin Corp
55
- Valuation
- 76
- Growth
- 41
- Profit
- 59
- Health
- 38
-
6
HWMHowmet Aerospace Inc.
55
- Valuation
- 10
- Growth
- 87
- Profit
- 57
- Health
- 74
-
7
RTXRTX Corp
51
- Valuation
- 44
- Growth
- 72
- Profit
- 38
- Health
- 57
-
8
NOCNorthrop Grumman Corp
49
- Valuation
- 63
- Growth
- 48
- Profit
- 29
- Health
- 55
-
9
GEGeneral Electric Co
49
- Valuation
- 19
- Growth
- 82
- Profit
- 46
- Health
- 55
-
10
HIIHuntington Ingalls Industries, Inc.
45
- Valuation
- 52
- Growth
- 50
- Profit
- 22
- Health
- 52
How this list is ranked
- Universe. S&P 500 companies in the GICS industries Aerospace & Defense, scored from SEC filings with confidence High or Medium.
- Score. The X-Ray score (0 to 100) blends valuation, growth, profitability, financial health and dividends, with each lens ranked within the sector.
- Order. Sorted by X-Ray score; ties go to the higher financial-health score.
- Data. Scores come from company filings with the SEC and our own fair-value models. Every figure is our own calculation, dated 22 Oct 2026.
- Limits. Scores describe the past and the present, not the future. A company with less history gets a lower confidence label. Different rules give a different order, which is why the rules are printed here.
Why a ranking by stated rules and not a "best" label: the order changes with the rules, so the rules are published next to the list. See also how the X-Ray Score works.
What is in this list
The universe is the S&P 500 companies in the GICS industry Aerospace & Defense: 12 companies. The industry is broader than its name suggests: it holds defense contractors that live on government programmes, but also makers of commercial aircraft, engines and components whose customers are airlines. Those two groups respond to different forces, defense budgets on one side and air travel on the other, so the list is not a pure defense ranking.
Long contracts, lumpy results
Programmes run for years and revenue is recognised as milestones are met, so quarterly profit can jump or slip without much change in the underlying business. The three-year growth and profitability lenses smooth some of that, but a company in a development or production-ramp phase can look weak on one lens and strong on another; open the stock page to see which.
What the current ranking shows
The leader is General Dynamics Corp, followed by Textron Inc, L3harris Technologies, Inc.. Only 12 companies are ranked, so a top ten covers nearly the whole industry and the bottom of the list is a short step from the top. Our fair-value models label 2 of the ten undervalued, 7 fair and 1 overvalued.
Questions about these defense and aerospace stocks
Does this list include European or other non-US defense companies?
No. Only companies in the S&P 500 are scored from SEC filings, so non-US defense groups are not ranked here.
Is this only about defense?
No. The GICS industry also includes commercial aerospace manufacturers and suppliers, so some ranked companies earn most of their money from airlines rather than from governments.
Why do some listed companies have weak scores?
The industry has few S&P 500 members, so a top ten reaches well down the score range. Look at the score and the lenses, not just the rank.
Where do defense ETFs fit in?
Defense funds are listed on our ETF pages; this page ranks single companies only.
More Top lists
Educational ranking by stated rules, not investment advice. Figures are StocksXray calculations from public filings and exchange data; they can be wrong or out of date. Past performance does not predict future results.