Sectors & Industries IndustrialsAerospace & Defense
Best Defense Stocks to Buy Now (2026)
Top defense stocks in 2026 ranked by overall Zen Rating. "A" Rated stocks have returned an average of +32.52% per year, and are the best defense stocks to buy now. Learn More.

Industry: Aerospace & Defense

Overview Zen Rating Price Value Growth Financials

Momentum Sentiment Forecast Dividends Due Diligence

Defense is Zen Rated C and is the 79th ranked industry out of 145 stock market industries

Ticker	Company	Market Cap	ROE	ROA	ROCE	ROIC	D/E	Current Ratio	Gross Margin	Profit Margin	Operating Margin
VVX	V2X INC	$2.19B	7.30%	2.50%	7.98%	14.80%	2.03	1.22	8.30%	1.70%	4.04%
ATRO	ASTRONICS CORP	$2.61B	14.90%	4.40%	7.87%	6.50%	4.05	3.10	29.90%	3.40%	5.16%
MOG.A	MOOG INC	$9.98B	13.30%	5.90%	11.93%	11.90%	1.20	2.33	27.40%	6.40%	10.31%
SWBI	SMITH & WESSON BRANDS INC	$623.36M	3.30%	2.20%	4.80%	4.10%	0.48	4.50	26.40%	2.50%	4.74%
WWD	WOODWARD INC	$23.01B	19.60%	10.50%	16.93%	22.00%	0.83	2.05	27.90%	12.90%	16.68%
LMT	LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP	$149.43B	80.50%	8.50%	19.29%	17.20%	7.90	1.09	10.20%	6.70%	9.38%
HII	HUNTINGTON INGALLS INDUSTRIES INC	$16.23B	12.30%	4.90%	9.09%	10.10%	1.51	1.13	12.70%	4.80%	7.07%
TXT	TEXTRON INC	$16.24B	12.20%	5.30%	9.15%	9.80%	1.30	1.82	18.20%	6.20%	8.52%
HWM	HOWMET AEROSPACE INC	$100.90B	29.70%	13.70%	21.16%	26.60%	1.09	2.13	34.20%	18.30%	24.13%
CODA	CODA OCTOPUS GROUP INC	$164.78M	7.40%	6.80%	9.37%	22.50%	0.11	8.87	66.50%	15.50%	20.75%
SARO	STANDARDAERO INC	$9.44B	10.90%	4.20%	10.51%	11.80%	1.46	2.20	14.80%	4.60%	9.09%
CW	CURTISS WRIGHT CORP	$25.54B	18.70%	9.50%	17.38%	25.60%	1.06	1.44	37.20%	13.80%	18.96%
NOC	NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORP	$104.05B	26.50%	8.40%	15.29%	17.50%	2.08	1.10	19.80%	10.00%	13.66%
RTX	RTX CORP	$278.20B	10.60%	4.00%	9.03%	16.00%	1.59	1.03	20.10%	7.60%	11.45%
AIR	AAR CORP	$4.29B	7.20%	3.20%	7.81%	7.90%	1.08	2.85	19.30%	3.20%	6.97%
PKE	PARK AEROSPACE CORP	$541.78M	8.20%	7.30%	11.69%	18.30%	0.11	15.84	31.30%	13.10%	19.96%
CVU	CPI AEROSTRUCTURES INC	$62.50M	-2.30%	-0.80%	1.37%	1.00%	1.96	1.61	15.30%	-0.80%	0.92%
ESLT	ELBIT SYSTEMS LTD	$40.84B	12.60%	3.90%	9.70%	9.60%	2.06	1.32	24.20%	5.90%	8.35%
HXL	HEXCEL CORP	$6.42B	7.40%	3.90%	7.25%	5.80%	1.16	2.26	23.00%	5.80%	9.12%
DCO	DUCOMMUN INC	$1.94B	-5.00%	-2.90%	-3.09%	-3.80%	0.79	3.50	26.90%	-4.10%	-3.78%
TATT	TAT TECHNOLOGIES LTD	$742.59M	11.10%	8.10%	10.00%	12.70%	0.31	4.44	24.30%	9.10%	10.84%
ISSC	INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS & SUPPORT INC	$532.82M	31.10%	19.20%	29.58%	35.30%	0.60	2.96	50.80%	21.00%	29.61%
RGR	STURM RUGER & CO INC	$621.19M	-1.50%	-1.20%	-2.46%	-2.50%	0.21	3.87	14.90%	-0.80%	-1.29%
BWXT	BWX TECHNOLOGIES INC	$17.92B	27.70%	8.90%	12.26%	11.80%	2.47	2.32	22.90%	10.30%	13.80%
LHX	L3HARRIS TECHNOLOGIES INC	$68.04B	8.30%	3.90%	7.45%	14.30%	1.10	1.19	25.70%	7.30%	11.57%
MRCY	MERCURY SYSTEMS INC	$5.16B	-2.10%	-1.20%	-0.24%	-0.40%	0.71	2.96	28.20%	-3.20%	-0.55%
HEI	HEICO CORP	$42.81B	16.80%	8.30%	12.15%	21.30%	0.89	3.06	39.60%	15.40%	21.59%
GD	GENERAL DYNAMICS CORP	$95.58B	17.60%	7.40%	13.39%	23.20%	1.23	1.44	15.10%	8.00%	10.31%
DRS	LEONARDO DRS INC	$12.27B	10.50%	6.60%	10.57%	19.70%	0.64	1.89	23.80%	7.60%	9.43%
EMBJ	EMBRAER SA	$11.95B	12.00%	3.10%	13.10%	16.10%	2.76	1.48	18.00%	5.50%	15.18%
CDRE	CADRE HOLDINGS INC	$1.50B	13.50%	5.90%	11.24%	14.10%	1.42	3.50	42.50%	7.20%	12.26%
TDG	TRANSDIGM GROUP INC	$71.06B	-24.40%	7.90%	20.04%	13.60%	-3.56	2.75	59.60%	19.80%	46.68%
BA	BOEING CO	$168.14B	-80.30%	1.20%	8.99%	6.30%	29.85	1.19	4.80%	2.10%	6.04%
POWW	OUTDOOR HOLDING CO	$236.92M	-36.40%	-30.10%	-32.98%	-577.20%	0.15	4.00	-1,027.40%	1,694.00%	1,681.59%
KRMN	KARMAN HOLDINGS INC	$13.87B	3.60%	1.30%	7.63%	9.30%	1.62	2.86	40.00%	2.60%	15.63%
BYRN	BYRNA TECHNOLOGIES INC	$239.86M	15.80%	12.40%	17.42%	22.70%	0.29	3.73	60.50%	8.20%	9.94%
CAE	CAE INC	$9.16B	7.50%	3.40%	8.24%	9.00%	1.12	0.91	28.40%	7.70%	14.69%
KTOS	KRATOS DEFENSE & SECURITY SOLUTIONS INC	$15.15B	1.20%	0.90%	1.30%	2.60%	0.24	4.06	22.90%	1.60%	2.09%
AXON	AXON ENTERPRISE INC	$41.61B	4.30%	1.90%	2.05%	2.30%	1.16	2.53	59.70%	4.50%	4.07%
OPXS	OPTEX SYSTEMS HOLDINGS INC	$96.91M	19.40%	15.50%	21.50%	26.40%	0.22	5.87	28.40%	10.70%	13.15%
PL	PLANET LABS PBC	$7.98B	-31.00%	-16.70%	-13.65%	-38.80%	2.16	4.00	57.90%	-45.90%	-44.34%
RKLB	ROCKET LAB CORP	$38.44B	-19.20%	-10.80%	-10.02%	-20.00%	0.35	4.08	34.40%	-32.90%	-33.14%
LOAR	LOAR HOLDINGS INC	$6.55B	6.30%	4.40%	5.40%	16.50%	0.73	4.70	52.70%	14.50%	21.41%
VSEC	VSE CORP	$6.03B	1.10%	0.70%	2.67%	4.00%	0.41	3.76	14.20%	1.10%	4.30%
AIRI	AIR INDUSTRIES GROUP	$15.86M	-12.50%	-3.90%	-0.87%	-0.40%	2.08	1.22	17.60%	-4.00%	-0.35%
AOUT	AMERICAN OUTDOOR BRANDS INC	$108.88M	-3.20%	-2.30%	-2.61%	-2.70%	0.41	4.40	44.10%	-2.70%	-2.55%
SPCE	VIRGIN GALACTIC HOLDINGS INC	$161.16M	-108.00%	-32.40%	-40.34%	-28.30%	2.78	2.87	-4,403.30%	-17,615.70%	-16,842.69%
AIRO	AIRO GROUP HOLDINGS INC	$328.69M	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	0.05	3.32	N/A	N/A	N/A
AVAV	AEROVIRONMENT INC	$10.37B	-6.40%	-5.00%	-4.88%	-14.40%	0.28	5.51	24.70%	-13.90%	-15.59%
BETA	BETA TECHNOLOGIES INC	$4.37B	-85.50%	-69.50%	-36.07%	-146.10%	0.16	22.77	72.20%	-2,704.50%	-2,055.65%
YSS	YORK SPACE SYSTEMS INC	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	0.52	0.80	N/A	N/A	N/A
SIDU	SIDUS SPACE INC	$70.14M	-116.40%	-67.30%	-95.74%	-123.70%	0.66	1.38	-129.80%	-655.40%	-647.02%
MNTS	MOMENTUS INC	$5.40M	N/A	-281.80%	-1,529.91%	3,438.90%	-29.24	0.41	99.80%	-3,445.30%	-3,375.58%
EH	EHANG HOLDINGS LTD	$911.75M	-29.20%	-16.70%	-22.36%	-25.40%	0.83	2.33	61.50%	-67.00%	-65.78%
NPK	NATIONAL PRESTO INDUSTRIES INC	$1.00B	10.40%	8.20%	12.12%	12.50%	0.33	3.53	18.00%	8.20%	9.99%
SPAI	SAFE PRO GROUP INC	$104.66M	-280.20%	-224.50%	-142.82%	-3,149.80%	0.15	7.60	46.60%	-968.90%	-968.14%
KITT	NAUTICUS ROBOTICS INC	$10.74M	N/A	-272.60%	2,755.94%	-305.80%	-11.38	0.21	-137.30%	-2,265.00%	-2,161.43%
VWAV	VISIONWAVE HOLDINGS INC	$144.78M	N/A	-231.20%	-417.53%	260.90%	5.00	0.26	N/A	N/A	N/A
AZ	A2Z CUST2MATE SOLUTIONS CORP	$225.13M	-83.40%	-66.90%	-42.78%	-278.30%	0.15	8.58	33.80%	-483.60%	-476.43%
RDW	REDWIRE CORP	$1.82B	-38.50%	-23.10%	-16.38%	-87.70%	0.29	1.63	5.20%	-81.20%	-63.17%
SKYH	SKY HARBOUR GROUP CORP	$692.80M	-3.90%	-0.80%	N/A	-0.40%	3.38	N/A	6.60%	-17.80%	-14.89%
SATL	SATELLOGIC INC	$421.30M	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	-2.25	1.08	N/A	N/A	N/A
LUNR	INTUITIVE MACHINES INC	$3.33B	N/A	-37.10%	-29.78%	-128.20%	-1.26	6.28	0.50%	-87.90%	-87.67%
DPRO	DRAGANFLY INC	$153.52M	-72.70%	-59.00%	-25.79%	-6,597.50%	0.09	11.81	19.50%	-243.30%	-245.15%
FLY	FIREFLY AEROSPACE INC	$3.28B	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	0.32	6.20	N/A	N/A	N/A
PRZO	PARAZERO TECHNOLOGIES LTD	$20.14M	-296.60%	-168.10%	-222.25%	-541.90%	0.79	4.68	-8.80%	-1,124.00%	-1,124.05%
EVTL	VERTICAL AEROSPACE LTD	$401.14M	N/A	-515.20%	-119.01%	-85.00%	-2.29	0.55	N/A	N/A	N/A
FJET	STARFIGHTERS SPACE INC	$353.76M	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	-3.23	0.25	N/A	N/A	N/A
VOYG	VOYAGER TECHNOLOGIES INC	$1.62B	-29.50%	-16.40%	-10.73%	-43.00%	1.62	4.37	18.00%	-69.70%	-59.15%
EVEX	EVE HOLDING INC	$1.03B	-202.30%	-60.80%	-53.54%	-55.50%	1.39	5.21	N/A	N/A	N/A
PEW	GRABAGUN DIGITAL HOLDINGS INC	$84.34M	-15.20%	-3.00%	-3.36%	-4.10%	0.12	9.07	10.20%	-2.60%	-2.60%
HOVR	NEW HORIZON AIRCRAFT LTD	$84.97M	-356.80%	-202.60%	-141.57%	2,782.60%	0.77	6.51	N/A	N/A	N/A
ACHR	ARCHER AVIATION INC	$4.79B	-37.80%	-32.90%	-26.17%	-80.90%	0.12	19.89	0.00%	-206,066.70%	-205,966.67%
SIF	SIFCO INDUSTRIES INC	$90.55M	9.40%	4.40%	10.45%	8.10%	0.94	1.72	16.90%	3.80%	6.29%
DFSC	DEFSEC TECHNOLOGIES INC	$4.98M	-125.00%	-75.10%	-84.60%	-259.20%	0.56	4.25	32.40%	-154.00%	-151.25%
ASTC	ASTROTECH CORP	$4.40M	-68.50%	-57.30%	-78.40%	-65.90%	0.27	7.56	42.30%	-1,163.90%	-1,163.72%
VTSI	VIRTRA INC	$47.58M	-1.30%	-0.90%	-0.68%	-0.90%	0.41	4.40	68.00%	-2.40%	-1.59%
GPUS	HYPERSCALE DATA INC	$62.25M	-233.20%	-19.90%	-33.75%	-20.50%	3.30	0.50	20.00%	-47.00%	-22.31%

Defense Stocks FAQ

What are the best defense stocks to buy right now in Mar 2026?

According to Zen Ratings, our proprietary rating system that evaluates 115 factors proven to drive growth in stocks and assigns each stock in our system an overall letter grade as well as 7 individual Component Grades for Value, Growth, Momentum, Sentiment, Safety, Financials, and proprietary AI algorithms, the 3 best defense stocks to buy right now are:

1. V2x (NYSE:VVX)

V2x (NYSE:VVX) is the #1 top defense stock out of 78 with a Zen Rating of A. Stocks with a rating of A have had an average return of +32.52% per year. Learn more.

The Component Grade breakdown for V2x (NYSE:VVX) is: Value: A, Growth: B, Momentum: C, Sentiment: B, Safety: B, Financials: C, and AI: B.

V2x (NYSE:VVX) has a Due Diligence Score of 46, which is 15 points higher than the defense industry average of 31.

VVX passed 15 out of 33 due diligence checks and has strong fundamentals. V2x has seen its stock return 47.31% over the past year, underperforming other defense stocks by -3 percentage points.

V2x has an average 1 year price target of $70.14, a downside of -0.28% from V2x's current stock price of $70.34.

V2x stock has a consensus Hold recommendation according to Wall Street analysts. Of the 7 analysts covering V2x, 28.57% have issued a Strong Buy rating, 0% have issued a Buy, 42.86% have issued a hold, while 0% have issued a Sell rating, and 28.57% have issued a Strong Sell.

2. Astronics (NASDAQ:ATRO)

Astronics (NASDAQ:ATRO) is the #2 top defense stock out of 78 with a Zen Rating of A. Stocks with a rating of A have had an average return of +32.52% per year. Learn more.

The Component Grade breakdown for Astronics (NASDAQ:ATRO) is: Value: C, Growth: A, Momentum: B, Sentiment: B, Safety: B, Financials: B, and AI: C.

Astronics (NASDAQ:ATRO) has a Due Diligence Score of 33, which is 2 points higher than the defense industry average of 31.

ATRO passed 11 out of 33 due diligence checks and has average fundamentals. Astronics has seen its stock return 197.64% over the past year, overperforming other defense stocks by 148 percentage points.

Astronics has an average 1 year price target of $86.00, an upside of 17.5% from Astronics's current stock price of $73.19.

Astronics stock has a consensus Strong Buy recommendation according to Wall Street analysts. Of the 2 analysts covering Astronics, 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.

3. Moog (NYSE:MOG.A)

Moog (NYSE:MOG.A) is the #3 top defense stock out of 78 with a Zen Rating of A. Stocks with a rating of A have had an average return of +32.52% per year. Learn more.

The Component Grade breakdown for Moog (NYSE:MOG.A) is: Value: C, Growth: A, Momentum: B, Sentiment: B, Safety: A, Financials: C, and AI: C.

Moog (NYSE:MOG.A) has a Due Diligence Score of 47, which is 16 points higher than the defense industry average of 31.

MOG.A passed 17 out of 38 due diligence checks and has strong fundamentals. Moog has seen its stock return 81.77% over the past year, overperforming other defense stocks by 32 percentage points.

Moog has an average 1 year price target of $240.00, a downside of -23.71% from Moog's current stock price of $314.57.

Moog stock has a consensus Strong Buy recommendation according to Wall Street analysts. Of the 1 analyst covering Moog, 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.

What are the defense stocks with highest dividends?

Out of 22 defense stocks that have issued dividends in the past year, the 3 defense stocks with the highest dividend yields are:

1. Smith & Wesson Brands (NASDAQ:SWBI)

Smith & Wesson Brands (NASDAQ:SWBI) has an annual dividend yield of 3.71%, which is 3 percentage points higher than the defense industry average of 0.94%. Smith & Wesson Brands's dividend payout is stable, having never dropped by more than 10% in the last 10 years. Smith & Wesson Brands's dividend has shown consistent growth over the last 10 years.

Smith & Wesson Brands's dividend payout ratio of 200% indicates that its 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 1.86%, which is 1 percentage points higher than the defense industry average of 0.94%. Park Aerospace's dividend payout is not stable, having dropped more than 10% two 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 117.4% indicates that its dividend yield might not be sustainable for the long-term.

3. General Dynamics (NYSE:GD)

General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) has an annual dividend yield of 1.7%, which is 1 percentage points higher than the defense industry average of 0.94%. General Dynamics's dividend payout is stable, having never dropped by more than 10% in the last 10 years. General Dynamics's dividend has shown consistent growth over the last 10 years.

General Dynamics's dividend payout ratio of 38.3% indicates that its dividend yield is sustainable for the long-term.

Why are defense stocks down?

Defense stocks were down -0.65% in the last day, and down -3.71% over the last week. Nauticus Robotics was the among the top losers in the aerospace & defense industry, dropping -23.24% yesterday.

Nauticus Robotics shares are trading lower after the company announced the issuance of a $1 million convertible note due 2026 at a conversion price of $0.5942 per share.

What are the most undervalued defense stocks?

Based on the Valuation rating, one of the 7 components of a stocks overall Zen Ratings grade, which evaluates factors including estimated earnings yield, earnings before interest and taxes/enterprise value, cash flow yield, free cash flow to price, and price-to-earnings growth (PEG ratio), the 3 most undervalued defense stocks right now are:

1. Textron (NYSE:TXT)

Textron (NYSE:TXT) is the most undervalued defense stock based on its Valuation Rating of A. Valuation is one of 7 Component Grades used to calculate the overall Zen Rating.

Textron has a valuation score of 43, which is 23 points higher than the defense industry average of 20. It passed 3 out of 7 valuation due diligence checks.

Textron's stock has gained 26.64% in the past year. It has underperformed other stocks in the defense industry by -23 percentage points.

2. V2x (NYSE:VVX)

V2x (NYSE:VVX) is the second most undervalued defense stock based on its Valuation Rating of A. Valuation is one of 7 Component Grades used to calculate the overall Zen Rating.

V2x has a valuation score of 57, which is 37 points higher than the defense industry average of 20. It passed 4 out of 7 valuation due diligence checks.

V2x's stock has gained 47.31% in the past year. It has underperformed other stocks in the defense industry by -3 percentage points.

3. Byrna Technologies (NASDAQ:BYRN)

Byrna Technologies (NASDAQ:BYRN) is the third most undervalued defense stock based on its Valuation Rating of B. Valuation is one of 7 Component Grades used to calculate the overall Zen Rating.

Byrna Technologies has a valuation score of 57, which is 37 points higher than the defense industry average of 20. It passed 4 out of 7 valuation due diligence checks.

Byrna Technologies's stock has dropped -46.43% in the past year. It has underperformed other stocks in the defense industry by -96 percentage points.

Are defense stocks a good buy now?

68.33% of defense stocks rated by analysts are a strong buy right now. On average, analysts expect defense stocks to rise by 6.22% over the next year.

8.22% of defense stocks have a Zen Rating of A (Strong Buy), 19.18% of defense stocks are rated B (Buy), 46.58% are rated C (Hold), 19.18% are rated D (Sell), and 6.85% are rated F (Strong Sell).

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

The average P/E ratio of the aerospace & defense industry is 65.32x.

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.

Sectors & Industries IndustrialsAerospace & Defense
Best Defense Stocks to Buy Now (2026)
Top defense stocks in 2026 ranked by overall Zen Rating. "A" Rated stocks have returned an average of +32.52% per year, and are the best defense stocks to buy now. Learn More.

Defense Stocks FAQ

1. V2x (NYSE:VVX)

2. Astronics (NASDAQ:ATRO)

3. Moog (NYSE:MOG.A)

1. Smith & Wesson Brands (NASDAQ:SWBI)

2. Park Aerospace (NYSE:PKE)

3. General Dynamics (NYSE:GD)

1. Textron (NYSE:TXT)

2. V2x (NYSE:VVX)

3. Byrna Technologies (NASDAQ:BYRN)

Company

Stock Tools

Stock Ideas

Sectors & IndustriesIndustrialsAerospace & DefenseBest Defense Stocks to Buy Now (2026)Top defense stocks in 2026 ranked by overall Zen Rating. "A" Rated stocks have returned an average of +32.52% per year, and are the best defense stocks to buy now. Learn More.

Defense Stocks FAQ

1. V2x (NYSE:VVX)

2. Astronics (NASDAQ:ATRO)

3. Moog (NYSE:MOG.A)

1. Smith & Wesson Brands (NASDAQ:SWBI)

2. Park Aerospace (NYSE:PKE)

3. General Dynamics (NYSE:GD)

1. Textron (NYSE:TXT)

2. V2x (NYSE:VVX)

3. Byrna Technologies (NASDAQ:BYRN)

Company

Stock Tools

Stock Ideas

Sectors & Industries IndustrialsAerospace & Defense
Best Defense Stocks to Buy Now (2026)
Top defense stocks in 2026 ranked by overall Zen Rating. "A" Rated stocks have returned an average of +32.52% per year, and are the best defense stocks to buy now. Learn More.