Trump Announces New Navy Battleships, HII Shares Rise
Catch up on the top industries and stocks that were impacted, or were predicted to be impacted, by the comments, actions and policies of President Donald Trump with this daily recap compiled by The Fly.TRUMP CLASS OF NAVY BATTLESHIPS:President Trump on Monday announced plans to build a new fleet of Navy battleships, anchoring what he called the Pentagon's "Golden Fleet," CBS News' Kathryn Watson. The president said he approved plans to begin constructing "two brand-new, very large, largest we've ever built, battleships." He later said he expects to build a total of 10 ships in short order, and ultimately 20 to 25. He made the announcement flanked by renderings of ships that were referred to as "Trump class." Shares of Huntington Ingallstraded up following the news.NEW YORK TIMES:President Donald Trump, in a social media, said, "The Failing New York Times, and their lies and purposeful misrepresentations, is a serious threat to the National Security of our Nation. Their Radical Left, Unhinged Behavior, writing FAKE Articles and Opinions in a never ending way, must be dealt with and stopped. THEY ARE A TRUE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE! Thank you for you attention to this matter."ECONOMIC NUMBERS:President Donald Trump, in a social media, said, "The TARIFFS are responsible for the GREAT USA Economic Numbers JUST ANNOUNCED...AND THEY WILL ONLY GET BETTER! Also, NO INFLATION & GREAT NATIONAL SECURITY. Pray for the U.S. Supreme Court!!!"DISTILLERY CLOSURE:Bourbon maker Jim Beamis halting production at one of its distilleries in Kentucky for at least a year as the whiskey industry navigates tariffs from the Trump administration and slumping demand for a product that needs years of aging before it is ready, Associated Press' Jeffrey Collins. Jim Beam said the decision to pause bourbon making at its Clermont location in 2026 will give the company time to invest in improvements at the distillery. The bottling and warehouse at the site will remain open, along with the James B. Beam Distilling Co. visitors center and restaurant, the author notes. Other publicly traded companies in the space include Brown Forman,, Diageo, Constellation Brands, and MGP Ingredients.CVOW PROJECT:Dominion Energyreleased a statement in response to the U.S. Department of Interior's Director's Order for a 90-day suspension of work issued for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project, saying that, "The Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project is essential for American national security and meeting Virginia's dramatically growing energy needs, the fastest growth in America. This growth is driven by the need to provide reliable power to many of America's most important war fighting installations, the world's largest warship manufacturer, and the largest concentration of data centers on the planet as well as the leading edge of the AI revolution. Stopping CVOW for any length of time will threaten grid reliability for some of the nation's most important war fighting, AI, and civilian assets. It will also lead to energy inflation and threaten thousands of jobs. CVOW is American-owned and benefits all of our Virginia customers. Our customers are paying for the project after a careful review of project costs and benefits by Virginia state regulators in 2022. These same state regulators, along with numerous federal agencies, oversee our cyber and physical security program, which is among the strongest in the energy industry. he project has been more than ten years in the works, involved close coordination with the military, and is located 27 to 44 miles offshore, so far offshore it does not raise visual impact concerns. The project's two pilot turbines have been operating for five years without causing any impacts to national security. CVOW enjoys bipartisan support and is within months of generating a massive 2,600 megawatts to support the fastest growing part of America's energy grid. This growth serves the largest concentration of critical infrastructure in the world. Virginia's All-American, All-Of-The-Above-Energy Plan requires a range of power generation assets, including natural gas, advanced nuclear, and renewables. Virginia needs every electron we can get as our demand for electricity doubles. These electrons will power the data centers that will win the AI race, support our war fighters, and build the nuclear warships needed to maintain our maritime supremacy. Virginia's grid needs addition of electrons, not subtraction."DRONE BAN:The Federal Communications Commission said on Monday it was adding China's DJI, Autel and all foreign-made drones and components to a list of companies determined to pose unacceptable risks to U.S. national security and would bar approvals of new types of drones for import or sale in the United States, Reuters' David Shepardson reports. The addition to the FCC's "Covered List" means that DJI, Autel and other foreign drone companies will not be able to obtain FCC approval to sell new models of drones or critical components in the United States, which is required, the author notes. Publicly traded companies in the space include Ondas, Red Cat, Draganfly, AeroVironment, and Unusual Machines.
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- Surge in Defense Spending: Global defense spending is projected to reach $2.6 trillion in 2026, reflecting an 8.1% increase from 2025, driven by heightened geopolitical uncertainties prompting nations to boost military budgets, thereby fostering overall growth in the defense sector.
- Strong Performance by Major Firms: Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Huntington Ingalls Industries have all seen their stock prices rise over 20% in early 2026, with Lockheed Martin leading at a 26% increase, indicating strong market confidence and investment enthusiasm in the defense industry.
- Increased NATO Spending Goals: Under pressure from the Trump administration, NATO's defense spending target has been raised from 2% to 5% of GDP by 2035, prompting major economies like Germany to significantly ramp up defense investments, with Germany expected to meet this target by 2030, further driving growth in the global defense market.
- Surge in U.S. Arms Sales: The Trump administration recently approved massive arms sales to Israel and Saudi Arabia, totaling $6.67 billion and $9 billion respectively, primarily benefiting U.S. defense firms, highlighting that in an increasingly dangerous global security environment, the defense industry will continue to thrive from government spending and investments.
- Price Increase Announcement: JPMorgan has raised its price target for a specific asset from $342 to $388.
- Market Implications: This adjustment reflects JPMorgan's updated outlook on the asset's performance and potential growth.
- Significant Revenue Growth: Huntington Ingalls reported total revenues of $12.5 billion for 2025, reflecting an 8.2% year-over-year increase, with earnings per share at $15.39, indicating strong performance in shipbuilding that is expected to enhance shareholder returns.
- Order and Contract Expansion: The company secured $16.9 billion in new awards for 2025, with all three divisions achieving record revenues, demonstrating sustained competitiveness in the defense market and potential for increased market share in the future.
- Production Efficiency Improvement: HII achieved a 14% year-over-year increase in throughput, with a target of an additional 15% increase in 2026, driven by hiring 6,600 shipbuilders and meeting a $250 million cost reduction target, further optimizing operational efficiency to meet market demand.
- Mid-term Growth Outlook: The company raised its medium-term shipbuilding revenue growth guidance from 4% to 6%, with 2026 revenue expectations between $9.7 billion and $9.9 billion, reflecting confidence in future market demand while emphasizing the need for effective contract acquisition and production scheduling risk management.
- McKesson Earnings Beat: McKesson's fiscal third-quarter earnings per share exceeded Wall Street's highest estimates, and the adjusted full-year EPS guidance was raised above analyst consensus, leading to a 16% stock price increase, indicating strong performance in the medical supply sector.
- Bob's Discount Furniture IPO: Bob's Discount Furniture debuted on the New York Stock Exchange with shares priced at $17, recently rising 10%, marking a successful entry into the public market and laying the groundwork for future growth.
- Fluence Energy Earnings Miss: Fluence Energy reported first-quarter revenue of $475.2 million, falling short of the $481.2 million consensus, with a per-share loss of 34 cents missing the 21-cent loss estimate, resulting in a 31% stock price drop, reflecting market concerns over its profitability.
- Cardinal Health Guidance Raised: Cardinal Health reported quarterly adjusted earnings of $2.63 per share, exceeding the $2.36 consensus, with revenue of $65.63 billion surpassing the $64.14 billion estimate, leading to an 8% stock price increase, showcasing strong growth potential in the healthcare services sector.

- Net Income Growth: Huntington Ingalls reported net income of $159 million, or $4.04 per share, exceeding the consensus estimate of $3.89, and marking a significant increase from $123 million, or $3.15 per share, a year earlier, indicating improved profitability.
- Revenue Increase: The company's quarterly revenue rose to $3.48 billion from $3.00 billion, surpassing Wall Street's expectation of $3.1 billion, primarily driven by strong demand in shipbuilding and Mission Technologies, reflecting robust market interest in its offerings.
- Cash Flow Outlook Downgrade: Despite the earnings beat, Huntington Ingalls forecasts free cash flow of $500 million to $600 million for fiscal 2026, significantly lower than the $800 million generated in 2025, suggesting potential cash flow pressures that may impact investor confidence.
- Delivery Milestones Achieved: During the quarter, the company successfully delivered the Virginia-class submarine Massachusetts and the guided missile destroyer Ted Stevens, marking key progress in ship delivery, although overall operating margins remain under pressure.
- Earnings Beat: Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) reported a Q4 2025 GAAP EPS of $4.04, exceeding expectations by $0.15, indicating a strong improvement in profitability that is likely to positively impact stock performance.
- Significant Revenue Growth: The company achieved $3.5 billion in revenue for Q4, marking a 16.7% year-over-year increase and surpassing market expectations by $400 million, reflecting robust demand in the defense and shipbuilding sectors and further solidifying its market position.
- Cash Flow Improvement: Net cash provided by operating activities reached $1.196 billion in 2025, with free cash flow at $800 million, a substantial increase from $393 million and $40 million in 2024, enhancing the company's financial flexibility and investment capacity.
- Optimistic Outlook: HII projects FY26 shipbuilding revenue between $9.7 billion and $9.9 billion, with expected operating margins between 5.5% and 6.5%, demonstrating confidence in future growth, particularly through continued investments in shipbuilding and Mission Technologies.










