defense stocks

In 2011, the S&P 500 Index went nowhere. In fact, it lost a little. But you don't have to suffer just because stock prices stay flat -- if you buy companies that pay strong dividends, like these 4 options in the defense sector.

Lockheed Martin Corp.'s (LMT) new F-35 fighter jet could be delayed by as long as three years, with development costs soaring by as much as $5 billion, Reuters reported. The Pentagon has estimated the cost of the F-35 program could top $380 billion, its most expensive weapons program ever. The...

British defense company BAE Systems (BAESY) hired two banks to sell its U.S. component manufacturing businesses. The company confirmed Monday that it had hired Wells Fargo (WFC) and JP Morgan (JPM) "to advise on strategic options" regarding its Platform Solutions unit, including a possible sale,...

Factory orders rose just 0.1% in July, the U.S. Commerce Department announced Thursday in a report that further clarified that the manufacturing sector's expansion slowed down this summer. While the statistic did indicate tepid growth, it was less than the 0.3% gain economists had predicted.

When President Barack Obama releases his nuclear strategy on Tuesday, he's expected to outline his broad goal of making nuclear weapons obsolete. More specifically, he wants to reduce the importance of nuclear weapons by vowing not to use them on nonnuclear states

Defense contractor Lockheed Martin posted higher fourth-quarter earnings that exceeded expectations, boosted by sales of its fighter jets and satellite systems. The earnings per share results, however, were boosted by a share buyback.

For most of the Bush era, defense stocks seemed pretty close to a sure thing. Those days are over and are not coming back any time soon, according to one defense analyst. The Obama administration is paring back spending on complicated weapons systems such as the Lockheed Martin Co. (LMT) F-22 and...

United Technologies Corp. (UTX) became the latest big company to buckle under pressure from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. The maker of Pratt & Whitney engines and Otis elevators today announced that it would slash 11,600 jobs and reduce its earnings guidance. Shares of...