{"id":3283,"date":"2025-10-21T17:15:23","date_gmt":"2025-10-21T17:15:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/igorsplayground.com\/appcheckr\/5-top-defense-stocks-now\/"},"modified":"2025-10-21T17:15:23","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T17:15:23","slug":"5-top-defense-stocks-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/igorsplayground.com\/appcheckr\/5-top-defense-stocks-now\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Top Defense Stocks Now"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Updated on October 21st, 2025 by Bob Ciura<br \/><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Investing in defense stocks has proven to be a lucrative opportunity for shareholders. Currently, the iShares Dow Jones U.S. Aerospace &amp; Defense ETF (ITA) boasts annualized total returns of approximately 12.7% over the past decade. This impressive performance has prompted us to compile a downloadable spreadsheet focused on defense stocks.<\/p>\n<p>This list is derived from two prominent defense industry-focused exchange-traded funds: ITA and the SPDR S&amp;P Aerospace &amp; Defense ETF (XAR). You can access an Excel spreadsheet containing essential metrics, including dividend yields and price-to-earnings ratios, by clicking the link below:<\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e477;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">\n<div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFE91;border-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">\n<div class=\"su-row\">\n<div class=\"su-column su-column-size-1-5\">\n<div class=\"su-column-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\">\n                    <a href=\"https:\/\/forms.suredividend.com\/defense-stocks\" data-formkit-toggle=\"3eaf51a16c\"><br \/>\n                        <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" alt=\"\" width=\"100\" height=\"90\" src=\"https:\/\/www.suredividend.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Defense-Stocks-e1667948227786.png\"\/><br \/>\n                        <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/www.suredividend.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Defense-Stocks-e1667948227786.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"100\" height=\"90\"\/><br \/>\n                    <\/a>\n                <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Are there further growth opportunities for these stocks? This article will delve into the top five defense stocks as identified by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.suredividend.com\/sure-analysis-subscribe\/\">Sure Analysis Research Database<\/a>. We rank these stocks based on our projected five-year returns, which factor in current dividend yields, anticipated annual EPS growth, and any changes in valuation multiples.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Table of Contents<\/strong><\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Defense Stock #5: Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. (HII)<br \/><\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Estimated Annual Returns: 0.0%<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Huntington Ingalls Industries specializes in constructing nuclear and non-nuclear ships for the U.S. Navy, operating through three segments: Newport News Shipbuilding, Ingalls Shipbuilding, and Mission Technologies. In 2024, the company reported approximately $11.5 billion in revenue.<\/p>\n<p>In its Q2 2025 report, Huntington Ingalls noted a 3.5% revenue increase, although diluted earnings per share fell by 11.9% to $3.86. Labor shortages and supply chain disruptions have negatively impacted operating margins, which decreased to 5.3% from 6.3%.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Defense Stock #4: Northrop Grumman (NOC)<br \/><\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Estimated Total Returns: 0.9%<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Northrop Grumman operates across four segments: Aeronautics Systems, Mission Systems, Defense Systems, and Space Systems. The company reported a 1% revenue increase in Q2 FY 2025, with diluted earnings per share rising 28% to $8.15.<\/p>\n<p>With a total backlog of approximately $89.7 billion, Northrop Grumman secured $7.4 billion in contract awards during the quarter, including significant contracts for the F-35 program.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Defense Stock #3: Howmet Aerospace (HWM)<br \/><\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Estimated Annual Returns: 1.8%<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Howmet Aerospace is a key player in providing advanced engineered solutions for the aerospace and transportation sectors. In 2024, the company generated $7.4 billion in revenue, with a significant portion coming from its Engine Products segment.<\/p>\n<p>In Q2 2025, Howmet reported a 9% revenue increase year-over-year, reaching $2.05 billion. The company also raised its dividend by 20% to $0.12 per share quarterly.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Defense Stock #2: Lockheed Martin (LMT)<br \/><\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Estimated Annual Returns: 1.8%<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Lockheed Martin is the largest defense contractor globally, with around 60% of its revenue derived from the U.S. Department of Defense. The company reported flat net sales in Q2 2025, with diluted GAAP earnings per share declining to $1.46 due to impairment charges.<\/p>\n<p>Despite challenges, Lockheed Martin&#8217;s Aeronautics segment saw a 2% increase in sales, driven by higher F-35 volumes.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Defense Stock #1: General Dynamics (GD)<br \/><\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Estimated Annual Returns: 2.4%<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>General Dynamics has a remarkable track record, having increased its dividend for over 30 consecutive years, making it a member of the exclusive <a href=\"https:\/\/www.suredividend.com\/dividend-aristocrats-list\/\">Dividend Aristocrats list<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In Q2 2025, General Dynamics reported an 8.9% revenue increase, with diluted earnings per share rising to $3.74. The company\u2019s Aerospace segment, which produces high-end Gulfstream jets, continues to perform well, contributing significantly to overall revenue.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Additional Reading<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>For those interested in dividend growth investing, consider exploring the following databases:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.suredividend.com\/dividend-achievers-list\/\">Dividend Achievers List<\/a> features around 400 stocks with 10+ years of consecutive dividend increases.<\/li>\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.suredividend.com\/highest-yielding-dividend-kings\/\">High Yield Dividend Kings List<\/a> includes the 20 Dividend Kings with the highest current yields.<\/li>\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.suredividend.com\/high-dividend-stocks\/\">High Dividend Stocks List<\/a> showcases stocks with yields of 5% or more.<\/li>\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.suredividend.com\/monthly-dividend-stocks\">Monthly Dividend Stocks List<\/a> features stocks that pay dividends every month.<\/li>\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.suredividend.com\/dividend-champions-list\/\">Dividend Champions List<\/a> includes stocks that have increased dividends for 25+ consecutive years.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Thank you for reading this article. For any feedback, corrections, or questions, please reach out to support@suredividend.com.<\/p>\n<p><script>\n!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n{if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\nn.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\nif(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\nn.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\nt.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\ns.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script',\n'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\nfbq('init', '1640545066267845');\nfbq('track', 'PageView');\n<\/script><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Updated on October 21st, 2025 by Bob Ciura Investing in defense stocks has proven to be a lucrative opportunity for shareholders. Currently, the iShares Dow Jones U.S. Aerospace &amp; Defense ETF (ITA) boasts annualized total returns of approximately 12.7% over the past decade. This impressive performance has prompted us to compile a downloadable spreadsheet focused [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3284,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[61],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3283","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dividends"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/igorsplayground.com\/appcheckr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3283","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/igorsplayground.com\/appcheckr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/igorsplayground.com\/appcheckr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/igorsplayground.com\/appcheckr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/igorsplayground.com\/appcheckr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3283"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/igorsplayground.com\/appcheckr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3283\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/igorsplayground.com\/appcheckr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3284"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/igorsplayground.com\/appcheckr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3283"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/igorsplayground.com\/appcheckr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3283"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/igorsplayground.com\/appcheckr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3283"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}