New York, March 2, 2026, 05:48 EST — Premarket
- Northrop Grumman shares push higher before the New York bell, with investors shifting cash toward defense contractors.
- Oil prices leap, sending U.S. stock index futures lower as traders pull back on risk.
- Traders are watching for new U.S. economic data due later Monday, along with additional headlines coming from the Middle East.
Northrop Grumman Corporation jumped 5.5% to $764.40 in early premarket action Monday, up from a Friday close of $724.38. As of 5:18 a.m. ET, the move has the defense contractor trading above its previous 52-week high, assuming gains stick through the open. 1
This matters right now: cash is flowing both ways. Risk appetite is fading as oil surges. Yet, at the same time, shares of contractors linked to aircraft, missiles and surveillance are drawing buyers amid the escalating Middle East conflict.
U.S. stock index futures dropped over 1% and crude surged nearly 8% early, squeezing airlines and banks, according to Reuters. Defense stocks like Lockheed Martin and RTX rallied. Société Générale analysts, in a note, said “U.S. action will continue for ‘weeks’, rather than days,” suggesting a longer-lasting hit to markets. The CBOE Volatility Index, tracking expected equity swings, pushed up to its highest level in three months. 2
Northrop Grumman finds itself in the thick of it. According to Reuters, the Pentagon called in B-2 stealth bombers—Northrop’s $2-billion flying wing—for the Iran strikes over the weekend. The U.S. military says those B-2s dropped 2,000-pound bombs on underground missile sites. 3
The market is reacting to the fallout, too. According to Reuters, several oil majors and leading trading houses have halted crude and fuel shipments through the Strait of Hormuz following the attacks, injecting fresh doubt into the inflation and growth outlook. “Unless de-escalation signals emerge swiftly, we expect a significant upward repricing of oil at the start of the week,” said Jorge Leon, senior vice president and head of geopolitical analysis at Rystad Energy. 4
Defense stocks aren’t bulletproof in a downturn, but investors do tend to favor them when geopolitical issues drive the market. Northrop finds itself alongside Lockheed and RTX, sharing the same territory even with different products in the mix.
Premarket action tends to get choppy. With less liquidity on hand before trading kicks off at 9:30 a.m. ET, prices can whip around, only to settle down once larger trades start rolling in.
Bulls face a clear risk here—a sudden move to de-escalate, or a wider rush away from risk as oil and rates churn, might yank the entire aerospace sector down. That sharp pop at 5 a.m.? It can unravel by lunchtime.
Investors are eyeing any sign that Washington is speeding up procurement — more munitions, more drones, more air defense — and whether that actually translates into contracts. Don’t expect it to happen overnight.
Next, U.S. manufacturing numbers hit later Monday, potentially adding fuel to the inflation and rates conversation set off by crude’s recent climb. Then comes headline risk—plus the question of whether early premarket optimism sticks once the bell rings.
