Jan 8 (Reuters) – U.S. defense companies came under fire from President Donald Trump this week, after he pledged to block them from paying dividends or buying back shares until they accelerated production. “After years of misplaced priorities, traditional defense contractors have been incentivized to prioritize investor returns over the Nation’s warfighters,” Trump said in […]
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Factbox-Billions at stake as Trump targets US defense sector dividends, buybacks
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Jan 8 (Reuters) – U.S. defense companies came under fire from President Donald Trump this week, after he pledged to block them from paying dividends or buying back shares until they accelerated production.
“After years of misplaced priorities, traditional defense contractors have been incentivized to prioritize investor returns over the Nation’s warfighters,” Trump said in his executive order released by the White House on Wednesday.
Defense stocks fell after his posts, but recovered after he called to increase the country’s 2027 military budget to $1.5 trillion from $901 billion in 2026.
Here’s how much top U.S. defense contractors have paid in dividends and share repurchases in 2025:
LOCKHEED MARTINDividends paid per share
Quarter Q1 2025 Q2 2025 Q3 2025 Q4 2025
$ per share 3.30 3.30 3.30 3.45
% rise from 4.8% 4.8% 4.8% 4.54%
2024
Cumulative dividend payment till September 20: $2.3 billion
Shares repurchased in 2025 till October 21: $2.3 billion
Remaining unused share repurchase authorization: $9.1 billion
RTX
Dividends paid per share:
Quarter Q1 2025 Q2 2025 Q3 2025 Q4 2025
estimate
$ per share 0.68 0.68 0.68 0.66 (LSEG
data)
% rise from 7.9% 7.9% 7.9% 4.7%
2024
Cumulative dividend payment till Q3: $2.7 billion
Shares repurchased in 2025 till September 30: $50 million
Remaining unused share repurchase authorization: $0.6 billion
NORTHROP GRUMMAN
Dividends paid per share:
Quarter Q1 2025 Q2 2025 Q3 2025 Q4 2025
estimate
$ per share 2.31 2.31 2.31 2.30 (LSEG
data)
% rise from 12% 12% 12% 11.6%
2024
Cumulative dividend payment till Q3: $964 million
Shares repurchased in 2025 till September 30: $1.17 billion
Remaining unused share repurchase authorization: $2.99 billion
BOEING
Boeing suspended dividends and share buybacks in March 2020, about a year after its 737 MAX was grounded following fatal crashes. Dividend and buybacks are on hold until further notice, although the U.S. lifted its 20-month flight ban on the jetliner in November 2020.
L3HARRIS TECHNOLOGIES
Dividends paid per share:
Quarter Q1 2025 Q2 2025 Q3 2025 Q4 2025
estimate
$ per share 1.20 1.20 1.20 1.25 (LSEG
data)
% rise from 3.4% 3.4% 3.4% 4.2%
2024
Cumulative dividend payment till Q3: $678 million
Shares repurchased in 2025 till October 30: $998 million
Remaining share repurchase authorization: $2.4 billion
GENERAL DYNAMICS
Dividends paid per share:
Quarter Q1 2025 Q2 2025 Q3 2025 Q4 2025
estimate
$ per share 1.50 1.50 1.50 1.48 (LSEG
data)
% rise from 5.6% 5.6% 5.6% 4.2%
2024
Cumulative dividend payment till Q3: $1.19 billion
Shares repurchased in 2025 till September 28: $600 million
Remaining share repurchase authorization: 6.9 million shares
Source: LSEG Workspace, Company reports, Reuters stories
(Reporting by Anshuman Tripathy and Parth Chandna in Bengaluru; Editing by Leroy Leo)