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Side-by-side financial comparison of Northrop Grumman (NOC) and Southern Company (SO). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Northrop Grumman is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($9.9B vs $7.0B, roughly 1.4× Southern Company). Northrop Grumman runs the higher net margin — 8.9% vs 4.9%, a 4.0% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Southern Company posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (146.8% vs 4.4%). Over the past eight quarters, Southern Company's revenue compounded faster (3.9% CAGR vs -1.7%).

Northrop Grumman Corporation, headquartered in West Falls Church, Virginia, is an American aerospace and defense company that designs and manufactures systems for aeronautics, defense, missions, and space. The company is the 5th largest contractor of the U.S. federal government; it receives over 2% of total spending by the federal government of the United States on contractors.

Southern Company is an American gas and electric utility holding company based in the Southern United States. It is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with executive offices located in Birmingham, Alabama. As of 2021 it is the second largest utility company in the U.S. in terms of customer base. Through its subsidiaries it serves 9 million gas and electric utility customers in 6 states. Southern Company's regulated regional electric utilities serve a 120,000-square-mile (310,000 km2) territor...

NOC vs SO — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
NOC
NOC
1.4× larger
NOC
$9.9B
$7.0B
SO
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
SO
SO
+142.4% gap
SO
146.8%
4.4%
NOC
Higher net margin
NOC
NOC
4.0% more per $
NOC
8.9%
4.9%
SO
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
SO
SO
Annualised
SO
3.9%
-1.7%
NOC

Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
NOC
NOC
SO
SO
Revenue
$9.9B
$7.0B
Net Profit
$875.0M
$341.0M
Gross Margin
Operating Margin
1.9%
13.1%
Net Margin
8.9%
4.9%
Revenue YoY
4.4%
146.8%
Net Profit YoY
81.9%
483.1%
EPS (diluted)
$6.14

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
NOC
NOC
SO
SO
Q1 26
$9.9B
$7.0B
Q4 25
$11.7B
$7.0B
Q3 25
$10.4B
$7.8B
Q2 25
$10.4B
$7.0B
Q1 25
$9.5B
$7.8B
Q4 24
$10.7B
$6.3B
Q3 24
$10.0B
$7.3B
Q2 24
$10.2B
$6.5B
Net Profit
NOC
NOC
SO
SO
Q1 26
$875.0M
$341.0M
Q4 25
$1.4B
$341.0M
Q3 25
$1.1B
$1.7B
Q2 25
$1.2B
$880.0M
Q1 25
$481.0M
$1.3B
Q4 24
$1.3B
$466.0M
Q3 24
$1.0B
$1.5B
Q2 24
$940.0M
$1.2B
Operating Margin
NOC
NOC
SO
SO
Q1 26
1.9%
13.1%
Q4 25
10.9%
13.1%
Q3 25
11.9%
33.2%
Q2 25
13.8%
25.3%
Q1 25
6.1%
25.9%
Q4 24
10.2%
16.7%
Q3 24
11.2%
32.6%
Q2 24
10.7%
30.0%
Net Margin
NOC
NOC
SO
SO
Q1 26
8.9%
4.9%
Q4 25
12.2%
4.9%
Q3 25
10.6%
21.9%
Q2 25
11.3%
12.6%
Q1 25
5.1%
16.3%
Q4 24
11.8%
7.3%
Q3 24
10.3%
21.1%
Q2 24
9.2%
18.6%
EPS (diluted)
NOC
NOC
SO
SO
Q1 26
$6.14
Q4 25
$9.94
$0.38
Q3 25
$7.67
$1.54
Q2 25
$8.15
$0.79
Q1 25
$3.32
$1.21
Q4 24
$8.66
$0.48
Q3 24
$7.00
$1.39
Q2 24
$6.36
$1.09

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
NOC
NOC
SO
SO
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$2.1B
Total DebtLower is stronger
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$17.1B
Total Assets
$50.0B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
NOC
NOC
SO
SO
Q1 26
$2.1B
Q4 25
$4.4B
$1.6B
Q3 25
$2.0B
$3.3B
Q2 25
$1.9B
$1.3B
Q1 25
$1.7B
$2.3B
Q4 24
$4.4B
$1.1B
Q3 24
$3.3B
$1.0B
Q2 24
$3.3B
$1.2B
Total Debt
NOC
NOC
SO
SO
Q1 26
Q4 25
$15.2B
$65.6B
Q3 25
$64.6B
Q2 25
$63.0B
Q1 25
$62.9B
Q4 24
$14.7B
$58.8B
Q3 24
$61.3B
Q2 24
$59.9B
Stockholders' Equity
NOC
NOC
SO
SO
Q1 26
$17.1B
Q4 25
$16.7B
$36.0B
Q3 25
$16.0B
$38.3B
Q2 25
$15.5B
$37.3B
Q1 25
$15.0B
$37.2B
Q4 24
$15.3B
$33.2B
Q3 24
$14.7B
$36.9B
Q2 24
$14.3B
$36.1B
Total Assets
NOC
NOC
SO
SO
Q1 26
$50.0B
Q4 25
$51.4B
$155.7B
Q3 25
$49.3B
$153.2B
Q2 25
$49.5B
$148.9B
Q1 25
$48.5B
$148.1B
Q4 24
$49.4B
$145.2B
Q3 24
$48.3B
$144.0B
Q2 24
$47.7B
$141.9B
Debt / Equity
NOC
NOC
SO
SO
Q1 26
Q4 25
0.91×
1.82×
Q3 25
1.69×
Q2 25
1.69×
Q1 25
1.69×
Q4 24
0.96×
1.77×
Q3 24
1.66×
Q2 24
1.66×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
NOC
NOC
SO
SO
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$-1.7B
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$-1.8B
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
-18.4%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
1.7%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
-1.89×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$3.3B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
NOC
NOC
SO
SO
Q1 26
$-1.7B
Q4 25
$3.9B
$2.6B
Q3 25
$1.6B
$3.8B
Q2 25
$868.0M
$2.2B
Q1 25
$-1.6B
$1.3B
Q4 24
$2.6B
$2.2B
Q3 24
$1.1B
$3.6B
Q2 24
$1.4B
$2.7B
Free Cash Flow
NOC
NOC
SO
SO
Q1 26
$-1.8B
Q4 25
$3.2B
$-1.7B
Q3 25
$1.3B
$559.0M
Q2 25
$637.0M
$-619.0M
Q1 25
$-1.8B
$-1.2B
Q4 24
$1.8B
$-576.0M
Q3 24
$730.0M
$1.3B
Q2 24
$1.1B
$563.0M
FCF Margin
NOC
NOC
SO
SO
Q1 26
-18.4%
Q4 25
27.6%
-24.2%
Q3 25
12.1%
7.1%
Q2 25
6.2%
-8.9%
Q1 25
-19.2%
-15.3%
Q4 24
16.5%
-9.1%
Q3 24
7.3%
17.9%
Q2 24
10.8%
8.7%
Capex Intensity
NOC
NOC
SO
SO
Q1 26
1.7%
Q4 25
5.7%
61.4%
Q3 25
2.9%
41.1%
Q2 25
2.2%
40.2%
Q1 25
2.7%
31.3%
Q4 24
7.6%
43.4%
Q3 24
3.6%
31.8%
Q2 24
3.1%
32.9%
Cash Conversion
NOC
NOC
SO
SO
Q1 26
-1.89×
Q4 25
2.73×
7.62×
Q3 25
1.42×
2.21×
Q2 25
0.74×
2.48×
Q1 25
-3.25×
0.98×
Q4 24
2.04×
4.66×
Q3 24
1.06×
2.36×
Q2 24
1.52×
2.23×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

NOC
NOC

Aeronautics Systems$3.3B33%
Mission Systems$2.9B29%
Space Systems$2.5B25%
Other$1.3B13%

SO
SO

Segment breakdown not available.

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