RTX Corp, Lockheed, L3Harris, Other Defense Stocks Climb In Thursday Pre-Market: What's Going On?

Shares of U.S. defense stocks rose in trading before the bell on Thursday, after President Donald Trump called for raising government defense spending.

Northrop Grumman Corp. (NYSE:NOC) led the rally with a 7.82% jump, while Lockheed Martin Corp. (NYSE:LMT) rose 6.52%. L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) gained 6.29%, and shares of RTX Corp (NYSE:RTX) climbed 4.45%.

On Wednesday, Trump expressed his desire for a major increase in U.S. defense spending, saying, "Our Military Budget for the year 2027" should be $1.5 trillion rather than $1 trillion, calling it essential to building a "dream military."

Trump, however, criticized the defense companies in another Truth Social post, hours before raising the defense budget. He slammed the companies for prioritizing dividends and stock buybacks over investments in plants and equipment, leading to slow deliveries of military equipment.

Trump Threatens To Block Raytheon Contracts

In another post, the president particularly expressed his discontent with the performance of RTX Corp’s Raytheon, stating that the company needs to invest more in “upfront Investment like Plants and Equipment” or risk losing its contracts with the Department of War. He further stated that the Department of War has identified Raytheon as the least responsive defense contractor.

Notably, Raytheon has been expanding its global presence with several high-value contracts. In December 2025, Raytheon won a $1.7 billion contract to provide Spain with four Patriot air and missile defense systems. This followed another significant contract in September 2025 when Raytheon strengthened its defense capabilities with a $26 million rocket motor deal.

Benzinga's Edge Rankings place RTX Corp. in the 91st percentile for quality and the 88th percentile for momentum, reflecting its strong performance in both areas. Check the detailed report here. 

Price Action: Over the past year, RTX stock climbed 60.22%, as per data from Benzinga Pro. On Wednesday, it edged 2.45% lower to close at $660.62.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.