3 U.S. Defense Stocks Retail Investors Are Watching After Lockheed Martin Guidance Raised

Lockheed Martin just raised its 2026 sales and earnings guidance and reported a record backlog that stretches into the hundreds of billions, which signals how central large contractors have become to long-term spending plans. That kind of visibility can create both opportunity and risk for investors who act too slowly. This article walks through three stocks exposed to this news, explaining where the potential upside and pressure points might sit for each one. The three stocks covered below are just a starter set, and the full screen on Simply Wall St surfaced 9 more U.S. defense and aerospace contractors with similarly detailed narratives that are not included in this article.