Defense Contractors Scan

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Defense Contractors Scan

Scan symbols 11
LMTRTXNOCGDLHXBAITAPPADFENLEUBWXT
Watchlists 1
@defense-contractors
raw scan snapshot — prices as of scan date, not live 27 rows · screens, not recommendations

Defense ETFs lead the book — DFEN (3x, RSI 62.9, +34.7% 30D, +18.5% vs SMA200) and ITA (RSI 64.0, +11.3% 30D, strong-up) are the momentum standouts. GD (RSI 64.2) the strongest single prime. The legacy primes split: RTX (RSI 60.1, +6.6% 30D, strong-up) firming while NOC (RSI 47.1, strong-down, -28.8% from high) and LMT (RSI 53, weak-down, -22.6% from high) lag. BWXT (RSI 57.1, +45% 1y) and LEU (RSI 55.3, +12.8% 7D but -64% from high) the nuclear-defense names. No oversold names — the whole book is mid-to-high RSI.

Latest bar Thursday 2026-06-18 (Fri 06-19 Juneteenth, closed). Several names 1-2d stale from yfinance throttle — flagged inline.

Quick Snapshot

Signal Reading
Overall 🟡 Constructive but extended — defense ETFs (DFEN/ITA/PPA) in strong uptrends leading; GD/RTX the firm primes while NOC/LMT/LHX lag on 3M (-15% to -24%). No oversold entries; the book is mid-to-high RSI
Key insight The ETF wrappers (DFEN +34.7% 30D, ITA +11.3% 30D, PPA strong-up) are outrunning most single primes — sector momentum concentrated in the basket. GD (RSI 64.2) + RTX (60.1, strong-up) are the firm large-caps; NOC (strong-down, -28.8% from high) is the laggard prime. No name in entry zone

Price Table

Stock Price RSI vs SMA20 7D% 30D% 3M% 52wkHi% Signal
GD $362.83 64.2 +4.6% -2.83% +6.67% +4.26% -5.33% 🔒 Hold (06-17, 1d stale)
ITA $242.79 64.0 +5.2% +0.44% +11.28% +6.88% -4.65% 🔒 Hold (06-17, 1d stale)
DFEN $80.72 62.9 +14.5% +1.14% +34.69% +11.92% -20.99% 🔒 Hold (06-17, 1d stale)
RTX $186.77 60.1 +4.6% +1.69% +6.59% -7.76% -12.93% 🔒 Hold (06-16, 2d stale)
BWXT $205.40 57.1 +5.7% +5.03% +4.09% -2.12% -15.06% 🔒 Hold
PPA $176.49 56.9 +2.4% +2.23% +5.99% +0.22% -5.27% 🔒 Hold (06-16, 2d stale)
LEU $191.39 55.3 +9.4% +12.77% +8.04% -6.68% -64.36% 🔍 Watch
LMT $535.95 53.0 +1.8% +0.79% +2.11% -15.22% -22.55% 🔍 Watch (06-16, 2d stale)
BA $222.72 50.9 +1.0% -2.91% +3.59% +10.71% -12.44% 🔍 Watch
LHX $310.45 49.8 +0.8% -0.01% +0.18% -15.49% -18.14% 🔍 Watch (06-16, 2d stale)
NOC $551.21 47.1 +0.7% -0.32% +0.66% -23.53% -28.78% 🔍 Watch (06-16, 2d stale)

Tier Analysis

Strong Uptrend / Hold (RSI 57-64): The leaders are mostly ETFs and the firm primes. DFEN (RSI 62.9, +34.7% 30D, +14.5% vs SMA20, +18.5% vs SMA200, alpha3y +296) — the 3x defense ETF is the momentum standout, extended above SMA20. ITA (RSI 64.0, +11.3% 30D, +10.2% vs SMA200, strong-up, alpha3y +33). PPA (RSI 56.9, +6.0% 30D, +7.4% vs SMA200, strong-up). On the single-name side: GD (RSI 64.2, +6.7% 30D, up regime, -5.3% from high — strongest prime), RTX (RSI 60.1, +6.6% 30D, +3.2% vs SMA200, strong-up — firming), BWXT (RSI 57.1, +45% 1y, +4.7% vs SMA200, alpha3y +125 — nuclear-defense strength).

Recovering / Watch (RSI 50-55): LEU (RSI 55.3, +12.8% 7D, +9.4% vs SMA20, weak-up — bouncing hard but still -64.4% from high, downtrend regime; the HALEU enrichment name is volatile). LMT (RSI 53.0, +2.1% 30D, weak-down, -15.2% 3M, -22.6% from high — lagging prime grinding sideways near SMA200). BA (RSI 50.9, +10.7% 3M, weak-down, -12.4% from high — range-bound around all SMAs).

Lagging Primes / Watch (RSI 47-50): LHX (RSI 49.8, -15.5% 3M, down regime, -18.1% from high), NOC (RSI 47.1, strong-down, -23.5% 3M, -9.9% vs SMA200, death cross, -28.8% from high — the weakest prime, well below SMA200). Both lag the sector on a 3M basis despite the ETF strength.

Entry Zones

Stock Price RSI 30D% Setup
NOC $551.21 47.1 +0.66% Laggard prime, -28.8% from high, below SMA200 (death cross) — watch for RSI <40 + reclaim of SMA50 ($579) before a trend call; weakest of the primes
LMT $535.95 53.0 +2.11% Grinding sideways near SMA200, -22.6% from high; weak-down 3M — needs a 30D thrust + SMA50 reclaim to confirm; no entry yet
RTX $186.77 60.1 +6.59% Firmest large-prime, strong-up, +6.6% 30D; constructive — watch for pullback to SMA20 ($179) for entry rather than chasing
BWXT $205.40 57.1 +4.09% Nuclear-defense strength, +45% 1y; above SMA200 — watch SMA50 ($208) reclaim / pullback to SMA20

Action Matrix

Action Stocks Why
🔒 HOLD DFEN, ITA, PPA Defense ETFs in strong uptrends leading the sector; DFEN extended (+14.5% vs SMA20)
🔒 HOLD GD, RTX, BWXT Firm primes / nuclear-defense — strong-up or up regimes, above SMA200
🔍 WATCH LEU +12.8% 7D bounce but -64% from high, downtrend — volatile HALEU name; needs trend confirmation
🔍 WATCH LMT, BA Range-bound near SMAs, weak-down 3M — no thrust either way
🔍 WATCH NOC, LHX Laggard primes, -23% / -15% 3M; NOC below SMA200 (strong-down) — weakest of the book

What Changed

  • Defense ETFs leading — DFEN +34.7% 30D (3x), ITA +11.3% 30D, PPA strong-up; sector momentum concentrated in the basket wrappers
  • GD + RTX the firm primes — GD RSI 64.2 (strongest single prime), RTX RSI 60.1 strong-up (+6.6% 30D) firming after a weak 3M
  • NOC the laggard — strong-down regime, -23.5% 3M, -28.8% from high, below SMA200 (death cross); the weakest prime by trend
  • LMT/LHX grinding — both weak/down on 3M (-15% each), near or below SMA200; no thrust
  • LEU bounced hard — +12.8% 7D, +9.4% vs SMA20, but still -64.4% from high in a downtrend regime; the volatile enrichment name
  • No oversold names — the entire book is RSI 47-64; this is a momentum/extension scan, not an entry scan

The Gold

Key Discoveries

Discovery Implication
DFEN +34.7% 30D / ITA +11.3% 30D outrunning most single primes Sector momentum is in the basket — the ETF wrappers capture the move better than the lagging primes (NOC/LMT/LHX)
GD/RTX strong-up while NOC strong-down, -28.8% from high The primes are NOT a monolith — wide dispersion; pick the leaders (GD/RTX), avoid assuming NOC mean-reverts
BWXT (+45% 1y, nuclear) + LEU (+12.8% 7D) Nuclear-defense sub-theme has its own pulse — BWXT constructive, LEU volatile/oversold-from-high; cross-links to nuclear-fuel-cycle lane

Mistakes (Don't Repeat)

Mistake Lesson
Treating "defense primes" as one trade RTX strong-up vs NOC strong-down — dispersion is wide; the basket (ITA/PPA) is the cleaner sector expression
Buying LEU on the +12.8% 7D pop Still -64% from high in a downtrend; one week up ≠ trend turn — needs base + SMA reclaim

Open Questions

  • Is the DFEN/ITA defense-ETF surge (+34.7% / +11.3% 30D) a geopolitical-event bid or sector rotation? (needs event verify — cross-check geopolitical-risk scan)
  • Does NOC's -28.8%-from-high weakness reflect a program/earnings issue or just relative rotation out of the laggard prime?
  • LEU: is the +12.8% 7D bounce a HALEU-demand catalyst (cross-link nuclear-fuel-cycle) or a dead-cat in a -64% downtrend?
10 events
DateTypeEvent
Jun 16 ScanDefense Contractors Scan Jun 25 ScanDefense Contractors Scan Jun 26 ScanDefense Contractors Jul 7 ScanDefense Contractors Jun 20 ScanGeopolitical Risk Scan Jul 11 ScanDefense Contractors Jun 25 ScanGeopolitical Risk Scan Jul 17 ScanDefense Contractors Jul 25 ScanDefense Contractors Jul 28 ScanDefense Contractors — July 28, 2026 (Tuesday EOD)

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