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Best Defense Stocks to Buy Now (2023)
Top defense stocks in 2023 ranked by overall Zen Score. See the best defense stocks to buy now, according to analyst forecasts for the aerospace & defense industry.

Industry: Aerospace & Defense
Ticker
Company
Exchange
Industry
Zen Score
Market Cap
Price
1d %
EBITDA
P/E
D/E
CODA
CODA OCTOPUS GROUP INC
NASDAQ
Aerospace & Defense
$65.59M$5.900.17%$5.23M15.53x0.04
LHX
L3HARRIS TECHNOLOGIES INC
NYSE
Aerospace & Defense
$37.11B$195.81-0.44%$3.18B25.07x1.27
HII
HUNTINGTON INGALLS INDUSTRIES INC
NYSE
Aerospace & Defense
$9.81B$246.890.69%$1.13B18.61x1.85
WWD
WOODWARD INC
NASDAQ
Aerospace & Defense
$8.02B$133.550.01%$443.41M34.42x0.94
MOG.A
MOOG INC
NYSE
Aerospace & Defense
$4.42B$138.600.41%$369.86M25.81x1.33
AXON
AXON ENTERPRISE INC
NASDAQ
Aerospace & Defense
$17.71B$236.380.45%$169.34M118.78x1.14
NOC
NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORP
NYSE
Aerospace & Defense
$71.81B$476.25-0.26%$7.41B15.59x1.82
CW
CURTISS WRIGHT CORP
NYSE
Aerospace & Defense
$8.24B$215.590.39%$620.68M24.03x1.02
PKE
PARK AEROSPACE CORP
NYSE
Aerospace & Defense
$311.04M$15.361.39%$12.03M29.54x0.14
LMT
LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP
NYSE
Aerospace & Defense
$111.15B$448.020.20%$10.46B16.35x5.11
VSEC
VSE CORP
NASDAQ
Aerospace & Defense
$961.06M$61.030.46%$95.59M25.32x1.20
VTSI
VIRTRA INC
NASDAQ
Aerospace & Defense
$96.19M$8.672.73%$10.71M13.55x0.73
GD
GENERAL DYNAMICS CORP
NYSE
Aerospace & Defense
$68.85B$252.290.32%$4.93B20.90x1.68
TXT
TEXTRON INC
NYSE
Aerospace & Defense
$14.88B$75.93-0.42%$1.58B16.19x1.33
HEI
HEICO CORP
NYSE
Aerospace & Defense
$24.72B$178.910.66%$652.66M61.48x0.74
CVU
CPI AEROSTRUCTURES INC
NYSEMKT
Aerospace & Defense
$33.46M$2.640.00%$6.34M3.57x7.12
BYRN
BYRNA TECHNOLOGIES INC
NASDAQ
Aerospace & Defense
$125.49M$5.71-3.87%-$6.30M-16.31x0.18
HXL
HEXCEL CORP
NYSE
Aerospace & Defense
$6.00B$71.361.54%$350.90M37.56x0.73
ASTC
ASTROTECH CORP
NASDAQ
Aerospace & Defense
$13.23M$7.78-2.81%-$9.44M-1.26x0.06
AIR
AAR CORP
NYSE
Aerospace & Defense
$2.45B$69.500.26%$129.70M36.39x0.74
RGR
STURM RUGER & CO INC
NYSE
Aerospace & Defense
$777.14M$43.85-1.70%$93.95M13.66x0.19
RKLB
ROCKET LAB USA INC
NASDAQ
Aerospace & Defense
$2.33B$4.802.13%-$129.04M-13.33x0.62
RTX
RTX CORP
NYSE
Aerospace & Defense
$116.93B$81.32-0.22%$9.03B37.30x1.31
DCO
DUCOMMUN INC
NYSE
Aerospace & Defense
$755.65M$51.770.94%$80.60M34.74x0.80
BWXT
BWX TECHNOLOGIES INC
NYSE
Aerospace & Defense
$7.25B$79.24-0.56%$416.34M32.48x2.18
NPK
NATIONAL PRESTO INDUSTRIES INC
NYSE
Aerospace & Defense
$558.45M$78.850.72%$34.54M23.82x0.21
ISSC
INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS & SUPPORT INC
NASDAQ
Aerospace & Defense
$134.69M$7.720.52%$6.98M27.57x0.74
SWBI
SMITH & WESSON BRANDS INC
NASDAQ
Aerospace & Defense
$575.51M$12.61-9.08%$72.55M19.70x0.53
ESLT
ELBIT SYSTEMS LTD
NASDAQ
Aerospace & Defense
$9.24B$208.35-0.41%$576.22M34.16x2.38
AVAV
AEROVIRONMENT INC
NASDAQ
Aerospace & Defense
$3.51B$124.790.69%-$24.49M-25.26x0.27
CAE
CAE INC
NYSE
Aerospace & Defense
$6.55B$20.580.39%$662.10M29.91x1.26
CDRE
CADRE HOLDINGS INC
NYSE
Aerospace & Defense
$1.21B$32.19-1.01%$75.35M33.88x1.21
SPCE
VIRGIN GALACTIC HOLDINGS INC
NYSE
Aerospace & Defense
$931.34M$2.334.48%-$526.93M-1.25x1.12
KTOS
KRATOS DEFENSE & SECURITY SOLUTIONS INC
NASDAQ
Aerospace & Defense
$2.63B$20.391.14%$56.40M-145.64x0.65
TDG
TRANSDIGM GROUP INC
NYSE
Aerospace & Defense
$54.42B$983.921.13%$3.15B44.66x-11.06
HWM
HOWMET AEROSPACE INC
NYSE
Aerospace & Defense
$21.93B$53.260.99%$1.35B34.58x1.63
POWW
AMMO INC
NASDAQ
Aerospace & Defense
$239.29M$2.02-0.49%$575.28k-11.88x0.11
OPXS
OPTEX SYSTEMS HOLDINGS INC
NASDAQ
Aerospace & Defense
$29.42M$4.353.33%$2.74M17.40x0.57
LUNR
INTUITIVE MACHINES INC
NASDAQ
Aerospace & Defense
$281.33M$3.06-3.92%$68.86M0.96x-0.47
PL
PLANET LABS PBC
NYSE
Aerospace & Defense
$698.93M$2.43-5.45%-$101.71M-4.50x0.34
KITT
NAUTICUS ROBOTICS INC
NASDAQ
Aerospace & Defense
$46.53M$0.93-5.10%-$10.71M13.29x-22.05
SIDU
SIDUS SPACE INC
NASDAQ
Aerospace & Defense
$4.39M$0.05-7.41%-$12.95M-0.11x1.09
KAMN
KAMAN CORP
NYSE
Aerospace & Defense
$641.14M$22.694.85%$25.66M-13.19x1.22
EH
EHANG HOLDINGS LTD
NASDAQ
Aerospace & Defense
$1.02B$16.472.11%N/A-20.51x1.40
MRCY
MERCURY SYSTEMS INC
NASDAQ
Aerospace & Defense
$2.15B$36.280.50%$41.88M-41.23x0.56
TATT
TAT TECHNOLOGIES LTD
NASDAQ
Aerospace & Defense
$88.31M$9.892.17%$10.00M18.52x0.63
KWE
KWESST MICRO SYSTEMS INC
NASDAQ
Aerospace & Defense
$4.24M$1.040.97%-$5.92M-0.25x2.03
ASTR
ASTRA SPACE INC
NASDAQ
Aerospace & Defense
$29.24M$1.301.56%-$122.31M-0.18x11.38
ATRO
ASTRONICS CORP
NASDAQ
Aerospace & Defense
$514.20M$15.150.00%$17.84M-12.32x1.72
SATL
SATELLOGIC INC
NASDAQ
Aerospace & Defense
$206.22M$2.30-1.29%-$36.84M-3.59x0.37
MNTS
MOMENTUS INC
NASDAQ
Aerospace & Defense
$16.34M$2.492.05%-$73.97M-0.06x6.80
ERJ
EMBRAER SA
NYSE
Aerospace & Defense
$3.43B$18.66-1.37%$268.00M-18.66x2.85
LLAP
TERRAN ORBITAL CORP
NYSE
Aerospace & Defense
$200.30M$1.033.00%-$89.61M-1.11x-2.43
BA
BOEING CO
NYSE
Aerospace & Defense
$148.04B$244.703.11%$1.77B-52.06x-9.03
DRS
LEONARDO DRS INC
NASDAQ
Aerospace & Defense
$4.86B$18.51-0.38%$289.00M-205.67x0.66
EVEX
EVE HOLDING INC
NYSE
Aerospace & Defense
$1.87B$6.931.17%-$106.33M-18.73x0.30
RDW
REDWIRE CORP
NYSE
Aerospace & Defense
$193.75M$2.993.82%-$24.90M-3.29x-6.50
AULT
AULT ALLIANCE INC
NYSEMKT
Aerospace & Defense
$7.08M$0.1011.96%-$183.91M-0.00x2.87
AIRI
AIR INDUSTRIES GROUP
NYSEMKT
Aerospace & Defense
$9.79M$2.97-0.17%$1.72M-2.99x2.33
DPRO
DRAGANFLY INC
NASDAQ
Aerospace & Defense
$24.07M$0.553.58%-$25.67M-0.77x1.33
VVX
V2X INC
NYSE
Aerospace & Defense
$1.34B$43.071.37%$201.73M-36.19x2.16
SPPL
SIMPPLE LTD
NASDAQ
Aerospace & Defense
N/A$6.28-8.19%-$166.31k-157.00x17.05
ACHR
ARCHER AVIATION INC
NYSE
Aerospace & Defense
$2.02B$6.737.68%-$435.80M-3.80x0.48
TGI
TRIUMPH GROUP INC
NYSE
Aerospace & Defense
$884.61M$11.511.41%$167.42M-29.51x-3.50
SPR
SPIRIT AEROSYSTEMS HOLDINGS INC
NYSE
Aerospace & Defense
$3.05B$28.863.03%-$331.60M-3.24x-8.60
AZ
A2Z SMART TECHNOLOGIES CORP
NASDAQ
Aerospace & Defense
$44.36M$1.200.00%-$11.80M-2.76x3.19
SIF
SIFCO INDUSTRIES INC
NYSEMKT
Aerospace & Defense
$24.00M$3.930.51%-$4.92M-1.85x1.71
SKYH
SKY HARBOUR GROUP CORP
NYSEMKT
Aerospace & Defense
$701.56M$10.983.88%-$948.00k-33.27x10.81
LILM
LILIUM NV
NASDAQ
Aerospace & Defense
$557.34M$1.384.55%-$266.79M-1.01x-4.18
EVTL
VERTICAL AEROSPACE LTD
NYSE
Aerospace & Defense
$178.96M$0.8119.32%N/AN/A-5.01

Defense Stocks FAQ

What are the best defense stocks to buy right now in Dec 2023?

According to Zen Score, the 3 best defense stocks to buy right now are:

1. Coda Octopus Group (NASDAQ:CODA)


Coda Octopus Group (NASDAQ:CODA) is the top defense stock with a Zen Score of 55, which is 25 points higher than the defense industry average of 30. It passed 17 out of 33 due diligence checks and has strong fundamentals. Coda Octopus Group has seen its stock lose -12.46% over the past year, underperforming other defense stocks by -27 percentage points.

Coda Octopus Group has an average 1 year price target of $10.00, an upside of 69.49% from Coda Octopus Group's current stock price of $5.90.

Coda Octopus Group stock has a consensus Strong Buy recommendation according to Wall Street analysts. Of the 1 analyst covering Coda Octopus Group, 100% have issued a Strong Buy rating, 0% have issued a Buy, 0% have issued a hold, while 0% have issued a Sell rating, and 0% have issued a Strong Sell.

2. L3harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX)


L3harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) is the second best defense stock with a Zen Score of 53, which is 23 points higher than the defense industry average of 30. It passed 20 out of 38 due diligence checks and has strong fundamentals. L3harris Technologies has seen its stock lose -10.1% over the past year, underperforming other defense stocks by -24 percentage points.

L3harris Technologies has an average 1 year price target of $216.00, an upside of 10.31% from L3harris Technologies's current stock price of $195.81.

L3harris Technologies stock has a consensus Buy recommendation according to Wall Street analysts. Of the 10 analysts covering L3harris Technologies, 40% have issued a Strong Buy rating, 30% have issued a Buy, 30% have issued a hold, while 0% have issued a Sell rating, and 0% have issued a Strong Sell.

3. Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII)


Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII) is the third best defense stock with a Zen Score of 52, which is 22 points higher than the defense industry average of 30. It passed 19 out of 38 due diligence checks and has strong fundamentals. Huntington Ingalls Industries has seen its stock return 4.95% over the past year, underperforming other defense stocks by -9 percentage points.

Huntington Ingalls Industries has an average 1 year price target of $232.00, a downside of -6.03% from Huntington Ingalls Industries's current stock price of $246.89.

Huntington Ingalls Industries stock has a consensus Buy recommendation according to Wall Street analysts. Of the 2 analysts covering Huntington Ingalls Industries, 50% have issued a Strong Buy rating, 0% have issued a Buy, 50% have issued a hold, while 0% have issued a Sell rating, and 0% have issued a Strong Sell.

What are the defense stocks with highest dividends?

Out of 23 defense stocks that have issued dividends in the past year, the 3 defense stocks with the highest dividend yields are:

1. Sturm Ruger & Co (NYSE:RGR)


Sturm Ruger & Co (NYSE:RGR) has an annual dividend yield of 14.3%, which is 12 percentage points higher than the defense industry average of 2.53%. Sturm Ruger & Co's dividend payout is not stable, having dropped more than 10% fifteen times in the last 10 years. Sturm Ruger & Co's dividend has not shown consistent growth over the last 10 years.

Sturm Ruger & Co's dividend payout ratio of 202.8% indicates that its high dividend yield might not be sustainable for the long-term.

2. Park Aerospace (NYSE:PKE)


Park Aerospace (NYSE:PKE) has an annual dividend yield of 9.6%, which is 7 percentage points higher than the defense industry average of 2.53%. Park Aerospace's dividend payout is not stable, having dropped more than 10% four times in the last 10 years. Park Aerospace's dividend has shown consistent growth over the last 10 years.

Park Aerospace's dividend payout ratio of 283.7% indicates that its high dividend yield might not be sustainable for the long-term.

3. National Presto Industries (NYSE:NPK)


National Presto Industries (NYSE:NPK) has an annual dividend yield of 5.07%, which is 3 percentage points higher than the defense industry average of 2.53%. National Presto Industries's dividend payout is not stable, having dropped more than 10% three times in the last 10 years. National Presto Industries's dividend has not shown consistent growth over the last 10 years.

National Presto Industries's dividend payout ratio of 120.8% indicates that its high dividend yield might not be sustainable for the long-term.

Why are defense stocks up?

Defense stocks were up 0.53% in the last day, and up 0.45% over the last week.

We couldn't find a catalyst for why defense stocks are up.

What are the most undervalued defense stocks?

Based on WallStreetZen's Valuation Score, the 3 most undervalued defense stocks right now are:

1. Innovative Solutions & Support (NASDAQ:ISSC)


Innovative Solutions & Support (NASDAQ:ISSC) is the most undervalued defense stock based on WallStreetZen's Valuation Score. Innovative Solutions & Support has a valuation score of 71, which is 49 points higher than the defense industry average of 22. It passed 5 out of 7 valuation due diligence checks.

Innovative Solutions & Support's stock has dropped -6.54% in the past year. It has underperformed other stocks in the defense industry by -21 percentage points.

2. Cpi Aerostructures (NYSEMKT:CVU)


Cpi Aerostructures (NYSEMKT:CVU) is the second most undervalued defense stock based on WallStreetZen's Valuation Score. Cpi Aerostructures has a valuation score of 71, which is 49 points higher than the defense industry average of 22. It passed 5 out of 7 valuation due diligence checks.

Cpi Aerostructures's stock has dropped -27.27% in the past year. It has underperformed other stocks in the defense industry by -41 percentage points.

3. Coda Octopus Group (NASDAQ:CODA)


Coda Octopus Group (NASDAQ:CODA) is the third most undervalued defense stock based on WallStreetZen's Valuation Score. Coda Octopus Group has a valuation score of 71, which is 49 points higher than the defense industry average of 22. It passed 5 out of 7 valuation due diligence checks.

Coda Octopus Group's stock has dropped -12.46% in the past year. It has underperformed other stocks in the defense industry by -27 percentage points.

Are defense stocks a good buy now?

52.94% of defense stocks rated by analysts are a strong buy right now. On average, analysts expect defense stocks to rise by 7.43% over the next year.

What is the average p/e ratio of the aerospace & defense industry?

The average P/E ratio of the aerospace & defense industry is 11.57x.
WallStreetZen does not provide financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security.

Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes and is not advice. WallStreetZen does not bear any responsibility for any losses or damage that may occur as a result of reliance on this data.