Northrop Grumman Corp

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With total sales of $45,358 million in 2013, Lockheed Martin is the largest defense contractor in the world. The other major defense contractors in the world include The Boeing Company and Raytheon Company.

General Dynamics’ total backlog grew from $45.9 billion at the end of 2013 and to $72.4 billion at the end of 2014. This was a whooping 58% increase.

The Intelligence, Information and Services segment was almost in line with last year. So were the operating income and margins, all of which saw marginal declines.

Raytheon is a global technology leader and US defense contractor. It primarily develops and manufactures weapons and military and commercial electronics.

Yesterday, the US Air Force awarded a $999 million contract to Boeing (BA) to upgrade the wings of its A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft.

Boeing (BA) stock started 2018 on a positive note and carried this momentum forward up to November 7, with a return of ~26%.

On June 26, Boeing (BA) announced it has joined the race to make the next-generation version of the Concorde, a hypersonic jet.

Boeing (BA) uses program accounting, a technique that allows the company to spread out its huge manufacturing costs over time by cutting the cost per plane in the early stages of a project, and smoothening profit margins over time.

Salaries and employee benefits form the highest cost for FedEx. They account for ~36% as a percentage of revenue. Salary costs rose 6% for fiscal 2015.

Strengths and weakness are internal factors within a company’s control. Opportunities and threats are external factors outside its control.

Raytheon is a leading technology company. It provides products and services in the defense, civil, and security markets globally.

Rockwell Collins is a leader in the design, production, and support of communications and aviation electronics for commercial and military customers worldwide.

Boeing (BA) is one of the world’s largest aerospace companies. The company is a top US exporter. It’s focused on innovation.

Rockwell Collins expects its Airborne Solutions/Avionics division to see good growth in the future due to the rising demand in Unmanned Air Vehicles (or UAVs).

One of Boeing’s competitive advantages is that it enjoys strong relations with many companies, even its competitors.

The Aerospace segment is Northrop Grumman’s (NOC) highest contributor. It contributed ~41% of the company’s total third quarter revenues. The segment was still NOC’s strength.