Defense Earnings Week Opens With Three Raised Forecasts and Two Record Backlogs

NEW YORK, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Equity Insider News Commentary - Three of the largest names in U.S. aerospace and defense reported third-quarter results on Tuesday, and all three raised their full-year guidance. Two of them reported record backlogs, including a $340 billion order book at one contractor that counts $164 billion of defense work. The reports open a busy stretch for the sector, with two more major contractors scheduled to report over the next eight days, and they land against a backdrop of rising defense commitments from NATO allies and a record U.S. budget request, even as Washington operates on a stopgap funding bill.