General Dynamics (GD) Stock Price, Fundamentals & Analysis

What GD does

General Dynamics (GD) operates as an aerospace and defense company worldwide. It is part of the S&P 500 and the Industrials sector, specifically the Aerospace & Defense industry. The company runs four segments: Aerospace, Marine Systems, Combat Systems, and Technologies. The Aerospace segment produces business jets and provides maintenance, repair, and lifecycle support services. The Marine Systems segment designs and builds nuclear-powered submarines and surface combatants for the U.S. Navy, as well as Jones Act ships for commercial customers.

Key numbers explained

• 343.33 USD is the current share price, representing the cost to buy one share on the US market.
• The trailing P/E ratio of 20.9 shows how much investors pay per dollar of the company's last 12 months' earnings.
• The forward P/E ratio of 18.5 uses expected future earnings, often seen as a more forward-looking valuation.
• 16.41 USD is the earnings per share (EPS) for the trailing 12 months, indicating the portion of profit allocated to each share.
• The dividend yield of 1.85% represents the annual dividend payment as a percentage of the current share price.
• 0.32 is the beta, a measure of volatility; a value below 1 suggests the stock tends to move less than the overall market.
• The price-to-book ratio of 3.46 compares the market price to the company's book value per share.
• 117.000 employees work at headquarters in Reston, United States.

Recent news

Recent headlines include a question about whether Stryker vehicle demand can support General Dynamics' growth, and an analysis from Bernstein that adjusted the price target to $407 from $421 while maintaining a Market Perform rating. Other articles compare GD with GE Aerospace (GE) as value options and discuss broader industry topics like Boeing's jet business and ballistic missile demand for Lockheed Martin.

What to watch

Investors typically monitor defense spending cycles, government contract awards, and geopolitical tensions, as these directly affect demand for aerospace and defense products. The company's four business segments mean that performance can vary based on different military and commercial aviation timelines. For those comparing industrial stocks, peers like Emcor (EME), Verisk Analytics (VRSK), and Ametek (AME) offer different exposure to the Industrials sector.