What to Do With Your Money Right Now as Tariffs Reshape Markets

By , Suzanne Woolley, and Paulina Cachero
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US consumers and retail investors are under pressure as President Donald Trump's tariffs fuel a global trade war that is tanking markets and threatening to drive up prices for everything from electronics and cars to sneakers and groceries.
In recent weeks, as the S&P 500 slipped from an all-time in February, the general wisdom was that investors should add international exposure to their portfolios. And, as tariffs loomed, some experts advocated for speeding up big purchases — buying a car now, for example, before prices surge.

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Business Insider

3 hours ago

• Business Insider

RTX, NOC, and LMT: 3 High Caliber Defense Stocks in a Dangerous Market

While we all hope for a peaceful resolution to the escalating tensions between Israel and Iran—far more important than market movements—the conflict serves as a stark reminder of the strategic value of defense stocks. Confident Investing Starts Here: Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter I've written about the defense sector previously, and these picks have performed admirably since then. Let's take a look at three of the top aerospace and defense stocks, Lockheed Martin (LMT), RTX (RTX), and Northrop Grumman (NOC), to see where they stand today. Aerospace and defense companies often offer stable, long-term investment appeal. Their revenues are typically underpinned by multi-year contracts with governments and militaries, providing predictable cash flow. The industry also features high barriers to entry, given the critical nature of the work and the long-standing relationships required to secure contracts—governments are unlikely to entrust vital defense programs to unproven newcomers. Many of these companies are also mature, dividend-paying businesses, making them attractive holdings in uncertain geopolitical environments. RTX Corporation (NYSE:RTX) Formerly known as Raytheon, RTX is one of the largest and most recognizable players in the aerospace and defense sector, with a market capitalization approaching $200 billion. The company was formed through a 2020 merger between Raytheon and United Technologies' aerospace and defense businesses. Today, RTX operates through three major segments. Firstly, Collins Aerospace, a leading provider of advanced aerospace and defense systems, generated $28.3 billion in revenue in 2024. Second, Pratt & Whitney, a leader in aircraft engines and power systems, generated $28.1 billion in revenue in 2024. Lastly, Raytheon, focused on defense technologies including cybersecurity, contributed $26.7 billion last year. With nearly equal revenue distribution across its divisions, RTX is a well-balanced industrial powerhouse. While the U.S. government is its largest customer, RTX also serves global allies, including Poland and the UAE, among others, thereby reinforcing its geopolitical relevance. The stock has gained almost 40% in the past year and now trades at 25x 2025 earnings estimates, slightly above the S&P 500's forward P/E of 21.5, but not excessively priced given the company's scale and stability. RTX also appeals to income investors. It offers a 1.8% dividend yield, modestly higher than the S&P 500's 1.3%, but where it truly stands out is in dividend growth. With 32 consecutive years of dividend increases, RTX has earned its place among Dividend Aristocrats, showcasing a long-standing commitment to returning value to shareholders. Is RTX a Good Stock to Buy? Turning to Wall Street, RTX earns a consensus Moderate Buy rating based on 11 Buys, five Holds, and zero Sell ratings assigned in the past three months. The average analyst RTX stock price target of $138.93 implies 4.7% downside potential from current levels. Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) Formed in 1994 through the acquisition of Grumman Aerospace by Northrop Corporation, Northrop Grumman (NOC) has grown into a $72 billion cornerstone of the aerospace and defense industry. The company produces a wide range of cutting-edge technologies, including advanced weapons, missile defense systems, and aircraft such as the B-21 Raider stealth bomber. It also maintains strong positions in space systems and mission solutions. In 2024, Northrop Grumman reported solid revenue across its diversified business units: Aeronautics ($12 billion), Space Systems ($11.7 billion), Mission Systems ($11.4 billion), and Defense Systems ($8.6 billion). This diverse revenue base highlights the company's broad capabilities and stable income streams. Like RTX, Northrop Grumman maintains a strong international footprint, serving clients in 25 countries, reinforcing its global relevance. The stock currently trades at 20x 2025 earnings estimates, making it cheaper than RTX and slightly below the S&P 500 average, positioning it as a solid, if not flashy, value play for investors. In terms of income, Northrop Grumman matches RTX with a 1.8% dividend yield. More importantly, it's a reliable dividend growth stock, having paid dividends for 35 consecutive years and increased its payout for 21 straight years, underscoring its consistency and shareholder focus. Is Northrop Grumman Stock a Good Buy? Turning to Wall Street, NOC earns a consensus Moderate Buy rating based on 10 Buys, five Holds, and zero Sell ratings assigned in the past three months. The average analyst NOC stock price target of $541.36 implies 9.4% upside potential from current levels. Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) With a market cap of $112 billion, Lockheed Martin (LMT) stands as one of the most established and recognizable names in the aerospace and defense sector. The company is renowned for its iconic military aircraft, including the F-16 Falcon and the F-35 Lightning II, with its Aeronautics segment generating $28.6 billion in revenue in 2024. Lockheed Martin's operations are broad and well-diversified, including Missiles and Fire Control, which generated $12.6 billion in sales for 2024; Rotary and Mission Systems, featuring Sikorsky helicopters and maritime technologies, contributing $17.2 billion; and its Space segment, which brought in $12.4 billion for the year. Altogether, Lockheed Martin reported $71 billion in total revenue for 2024, showcasing the scale and balance of its business. Internationally, Lockheed maintains a robust global presence, working with over 50 countries, including Australia, Germany, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and South Korea, which provides meaningful geographic diversification. From a valuation standpoint, Lockheed Martin appears attractive, trading at just 17x 2025 earnings estimates —cheaper than the broader market and the least expensive stock among its peers in this comparison. Income investors will also find Lockheed compelling. With a 2.75% dividend yield, it offers more than double the S&P 500's average and is the highest-yielding stock among prominent U.S. defense names. The company has paid dividends for 29 consecutive years and raised its payout for 22 straight years. With a payout ratio of less than 50%, Lockheed has ample room to continue growing its dividend in the years ahead. Is Lockheed Martin Stock a Buy or Sell? LMT earns a consensus Moderate Buy rating based on seven Buys, eight Holds, and zero Sell ratings assigned in the past three months. The average analyst LMT stock price target of $521.07 implies 11.2% upside potential from current levels. Why Lockheed Martin Stands Out Among Top Defense Stocks I'm bullish on all three of these aerospace and defense stocks, each of which offers a durable business model, long-standing government relationships, diversified revenue streams across multiple segments, reasonable valuations, above-average dividend yields, and impressive records of dividend growth. Among them, I find Lockheed Martin the most compelling, thanks to its lowest valuation and highest dividend yield of the group, alongside a strong track record of consistent dividend increases.

Yahoo

5 hours ago

• Yahoo

Here are 10 stocks Goldman Sachs expects to be winners after a wild first half for the market

Goldman Sachs just updated one of its stock baskets with its picks for the highest risk-adjusted returns. The basket has outperformed the S&P 500 so far this year, gaining 3% year-to-date. The S&P 500's overall risk-adjusted return has been lower than usual so far this year, strategists said. It's been a volatile year for stock traders, but there are a handful of new winners in the S&P 500 that could be poised for big gains over the next 12 months, according to Goldman Sachs. In a note to clients on Friday, the bank said it updated its Sharpe Ratio basket, a list of 50 stocks with the highest expected risk-adjusted returns. So far, the basket has gained 3% year-to-date, edging past the S&P 500's 1.7% gain. The S&P 500's overall risk-adjusted return has been "lower than usual" so far in 2025, the strategists said, pointing to increased volatility and lower-than-average returns stemming from fears around tariffs. The bank rebalanced its portfolio by choosing stocks with a high prospective Sharpe Ratio, a gauge for risk-adjusted returns calculated by dividing a percentage return to a stock's consensus 12-month price target by its six-month option-implied volatility. "Currently, the median S&P 500 stock is expected to post an 11% return to its 12-month consensus price target with a 6-month implied volatility of 28, yielding a prospective risk-adjusted return of 0.4," the bank wrote. Here are the top 10 newest additions to Goldman's Sharpe basket. Ticker: MRNA Return to consensus price target: 88% Expected return over implied volatility: 1.3 Ticker: VTRS Return to consensus price target: 61% Expected return over implied volatility: 1.5 Ticker: ENPH Return from consensus price target: 45% Expected return over implied volatility: 0.6 Ticker: PCG Return to consensus price target: 45% Expected return over implied volatility: 1.1 Ticker: TMO Return to consensus price target: 42% Expected return over implied volatility: 1.2 Ticker: FI Return to consensus price target: 37% Expected return over implied volatility: 1.2 Ticker: COO Return to consensus price target: 37% Expected return over implied volatility: 1.2 Ticker: CRM Return to consensus price target: 37% Expected return over implied volatility: 1.1 Ticker: LEN Return to consensus price target: 34% Expected return over implied volatility: 0.9 Ticker: EPAM Return to consensus price target: 33% Expected return over implied volatility: 0.8 Read the original article on Business Insider

Business Insider

6 hours ago

• Business Insider

Stock Market News Review: SPY, QQQ Slip as Recession Signal Flashes, Fed Officials Split on Rate Cuts

Both the S&P 500 (SPX) and Nasdaq 100 (NDX) closed the Friday trading session in the red as geopolitical and economic uncertainty continue to persist. Confident Investing Starts Here: The market received a morning boost after President Trump announced on the Juneteenth holiday that the U.S. would hold off from striking Iran's nuclear facilities for two weeks to allow a window for negotiations. However, those gains were quickly erased after The Conference Board's Leading Economic Index (LEI) flashed a recession signal. The LEI has fallen by 2.7% for the six months ended May, with its annualized six-month growth rate dropping below -4.1%, one of the two requirements that trigger a recession warning. The other requirement occurs when the six-month diffusion index reaches or drops below 50, which signals that most of the components within the LEI are falling. The components include manufacturing, labor market, sentiment, and credit statistics, among others. The recession indicator isn't perfect, although it did precede the recessions of 2000 and 2008 while issuing false signals in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Meanwhile, chip and AI stocks took a hit after a Wall Street Journal report that the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) is planning on restricting Samsung, SK Hynix, and Taiwan Semiconductor's (TSM) access to American chip-making technology in their Chinese factories. The three companies currently enjoy a blanket waiver on moving U.S. chip-making equipment to their Chinese facilities, although DOC export controls head Jeffrey Kessler has informed them that the waivers could be cancelled. The policy hasn't been set in stone yet, however. In interest rate news, Fed officials are split on when to cut rates sooner or later. Fed Governor Christopher Waller supports a rate drop as soon as July while Richmond Fed President Thomas Barkin doesn't see a rush for lower rates while the labor market and consumer spending remain healthy. 'I don't think the data gives us any rush to cut… I am very conscious that we've not been at our inflation target for four years,' said Barkin in an interview with Reuters.