Sifting through countless of stocks in the Aerospace & Defense industry can be tedious, and sometimes two stocks are just too similar to judge which is the better investment. If you’re on the fence about investing in General Dynamics Corporation, Huntington Ingalls Industries or Inc. because you’re not sure how they measure up, it’s important to compare them on a few factors before making your decision.

Read on to learn how General Dynamics Corporation, Huntington Ingalls Industries and Inc. compare based on key financial metrics to determine which better meets your investment needs.

About General Dynamics Corporation, Huntington Ingalls Industries and Inc.

General Dynamics Corporation operates as an aerospace and defense company worldwide. It operates through four segments: Aerospace, Marine Systems, Combat Systems, and Technologies. The Aerospace segment produces and sells business jets; and offers aircraft maintenance and repair, management, aircraft-on-ground support, customer support and custom completion services, modifications, upgrades, and lifecycle sustainment support services. The Marine Systems segment designs and builds nuclear-powered submarines, surface combatants, and auxiliary ships for the United States Navy and Jones Act ships for commercial customers, as well as provides maintenance, modernization, and lifecycle support services for navy ships; offers and program management, planning, engineering, and design support services for submarine construction programs. The Combat Systems segment manufactures land combat solutions, such as wheeled and tracked combat vehicles, Stryker wheeled combat vehicles, piranha vehicles, weapons systems, energetics and munitions, mobile bridge systems with payloads, tactical vehicles, main battle tanks, and armored vehicles; and offers modernization programs, support and sustainment services, and development programs. The Technologies segment provides information technology solutions and mission support services; mobile communication, computers, and command-and-control mission systems; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance solutions to military, intelligence, and federal civilian customers; cloud services, cybersecurity, network modernization, artificial intelligence; machine learning; application development, high-performance computing, and 5G and advanced communications services; and unmanned undersea vehicle manufacturing and assembly services. The company was founded in 1899 and is headquartered in Reston, Virginia.

Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. designs, builds, overhauls, and repairs military ships in the United States. It operates through three segments: Ingalls, Newport News, and Mission Technologies. The company is involved in the design and construction of non-nuclear ships comprising amphibious assault ships, surface combatants, and national security cutters for the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard. It also provides nuclear-powered ships, such as aircraft carriers and submarines, as well as refueling and overhaul, and inactivation services of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. In addition, the company offers naval nuclear support services, including fleet services comprising design, construction, maintenance, and disposal activities for in-service the U.S. Navy nuclear ships; and maintenance services on nuclear reactor prototypes. Further, the company provides C5ISR systems and operations; application of artificial intelligence and machine learning to battlefield decisions; defensive and offensive cyberspace strategies and electronic warfare; uncrewed autonomous systems; live, virtual, and constructive solutions; platform modernization; and critical nuclear operations. Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. was founded in 1886 and is headquartered in Newport News, Virginia.

Latest Aerospace & Defense and General Dynamics Corporation, Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. Stock News

As of May 15, 2026, General Dynamics Corporation had a $90.3 billion market capitalization, compared to the Aerospace & Defense median of $4.8 million. General Dynamics Corporation’s stock is up 1.9% in 2026, down 0.3% in the previous five trading days and up 23.57% in the past year.

Currently, General Dynamics Corporation’s price-earnings ratio is 21.1. General Dynamics Corporation’s trailing 12-month revenue is $53.8 billion with a 8.1% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 10.3%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $16.631 per share for the current fiscal year. General Dynamics Corporation currently has a 1.9% dividend yield.

As of May 15, 2026, Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. had a $12.9 billion market cap, putting it in the 81st percentile of all stocks. Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc.’s stock is down 3.2% in 2026, up 3.7% in the previous five trading days and up 46.19% in the past year.

Currently, Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 21.2. Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $12.8 billion with a 4.7% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 13.4%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $17.467 per share for the current fiscal year. Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. currently has a 1.7% dividend yield.

How We Compare General Dynamics Corporation, Huntington Ingalls Industries and Inc. Stock Grades

Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data and the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movements. AAII created A+ Investor, a robust data suite that condenses data research in an actionable and customizable way suitable for investors of all knowledge levels, to help investors streamline and work through such data.

AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A‐F grades for each of five key investing factors: value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality. Here, we’ll take a closer look at General Dynamics Corporation, Huntington Ingalls Industries and Inc.’s stock grades to see how they measure up against one another.

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General Dynamics Corporation, Huntington Ingalls Industries and Inc. Growth Grades

Company	Ticker	Growth
General Dynamics Corporation	GD	A
Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc.	HII	A

The foundation of growth investing is seeking out stocks of companies exhibiting strong, consistent and prolonged growth that is expected to continue into the future.

In order to compute the growth score and assign it a letter grade, the percentile ranks for each of three components‐consistency of annual sales growth, five-year sales growth rankings adjusted for extreme levels, and consistency of positive annual cash from operations‐must be determined. These three rank figures are added together, and the sum is ranked against the entire stock universe to arrive at a company’s Growth Score to create an equal distribution of grades.

The companies in the bottom 20% of the stock universe receive Growth Grades of F, considered to be very weak, while those in the top 20% receive A grades, which are considered very strong.

General Dynamics Corporation has a Growth Score of 100, which is Very Strong. Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. has a Growth Score of 100, which is Very Strong.

The Growth Grade Winner: It’s a Tie!

Looking at the Growth Grade breakdown above, both General Dynamics Corporation, Huntington Ingalls Industries and Inc. have a grade of A. For investors who focus solely on a company’s upward growth, further research should be conducted into both companies’ other financial metrics before deciding whether to invest.

General Dynamics Corporation, Huntington Ingalls Industries and Inc.’s Momentum Grades

Company	Ticker	Momentum
General Dynamics Corporation	GD	C
Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc.	HII	C

Momentum grades help to uncover stocks experiencing anomalously high rates of return; research finds that stocks with high relative levels of momentum tend to outperform, whereas those with low levels of momentum tend to continue underperforming. Momentum is based on the price change of a stock over a specified period relative to all other stocks.

Typically, AAII looks at the weighted relative strength over the trailing four quarters. The weighted four-quarter relative strength rank is the relative price change for each of the past four quarters. The most recent quarterly price change is given a weight of 40% and each of the three previous quarters are given a weighting of 20%.

General Dynamics Corporation has a Momentum Score of 54, which is Average. Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. has a Momentum Score of 60, which is Average.

The Momentum Stock Winner: No Clear Winner

Neither General Dynamics Corporation, Huntington Ingalls Industries or Inc. has a strong enough Momentum Grade to be considered a “winner.” Investors considering these companies should do additional due diligence and research to see if either could be a good addition to their portfolios. It’s important to look at a wide range of financial metrics in order to determine if General Dynamics Corporation, Huntington Ingalls Industries or Inc. is the better investment when it comes to momentum.

General Dynamics Corporation, Huntington Ingalls Industries and Inc.’s Estimate Revisions Grades

Company	Ticker	Earnings Estimate
General Dynamics Corporation	GD	B
Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc.	HII	C

Earnings estimate revisions scores consider the magnitude of a company’s earnings surprise in its last two reported fiscal quarters. Often, positive surprises beget further positive surprises‐or at least continued sales growth (the exact opposite is generally true, too).

Estimate revisions offer an indication of what analysts are thinking about the short-term prospects of a firm. Estimate revisions are based on the statistical significance of a firm’s last two quarterly earnings surprises and the percentage change in its consensus estimate for the current fiscal year over the past month and past three months.

General Dynamics Corporation has a Earnings Estimate Score of 62, which is Positive. Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. has a Earnings Estimate Score of 45, which is Neutral.

The Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade Winner: General Dynamics Corporation

As you can clearly see from the Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade breakdown above, General Dynamics Corporation has a better Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade than Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc.. For those who are specifically looking for companies with better short-term prospects when compared to other companies in the same industry, General Dynamics Corporation could be a good stock to invest in. However, it’s important to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

Other General Dynamics Corporation, Huntington Ingalls Industries and Inc. Grades

In addition to Estimate Revisions, Momentum and Growth, A+ Investor also provides grades for Value and Quality.

Successful stock investing involves buying low and selling high, so stock valuation is an important consideration for stock selection. Buying stocks that are going to go up typically means buying stocks that are undervalued in the first place, although momentum investors may argue that point.

AAII’s A+ Investor Quality Grade comes from the ranking of key metrics. Specifically, the quality grade is the percentile rank of the composite of return on assets (ROA), return on invested capital (ROIC), gross profit relative to assets, buyback yield, change in total liabilities to assets, accruals, Z double prime bankruptcy risk (Z) score and F-Score.

These 2 key factors, when combined with the above, provide a holistic view into a particular stock. Further, by joining A+ Investor you can see whether General Dynamics Corporation, Huntington Ingalls Industries and Inc. pass any of our 60+ stock screens that have outperformed the market since their creation.

So, Which Is the Better Investment, General Dynamics Corporation, Huntington Ingalls Industries or Inc. Stock?

Overall, General Dynamics Corporation stock has a Growth Score of 100, Momentum Score of 54 and Estimate Revisions Score of 62.

Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. stock has a Growth Score of 100, Momentum Score of 60 and Estimate Revisions Score of 45.

Comparing General Dynamics Corporation, Huntington Ingalls Industries and Inc.’s grades, scores and metrics can act as a solid basis to determine whether they may be a good investment or not. You’ll also want to look at your portfolio’s asset allocation as well as your risk tolerance and financial goals to see if either of these stocks would make a good fit for you. AAII can help you figure out which investments align with your individual needs and preferences.

Investors are encouraged to do their own due diligence and research. In this way, individuals can effectively become managers of their own assets‐without having to rely on others for financial independence. You can count on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis.

A+ Investor adds to our qualitative teaching with a powerful data suite to help you whittle down investment choices to find stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that meet your needs.

AAII Disclaimer

We make no representations or warranties that any investor will, or is likely to, achieve profits similar to those shown, because past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Before making an investment decision, you should consider your circumstances and whether the information on our content is applicable to your situation. This information was prepared in good faith, and we accept no liability for any errors or omissions. The full disclaimer can be read here.