Investing
How To Invest In Drones
Drone technology is not only revolutionizing warfare, it is changing how we think about postal and package delivery, communication and travel. Here are 7 Big Companies Making Moves in the Drone Industry.
You might as well call Boeing “The Air Force Corporation” that’s how closely this company is linked with fighter jet technology.
Boeing has had its fingers in the drone market pie for quite a while, largely for (you guessed it) the U.S. military.
As of late, however, they’ve been testing the hydrogen-powered Phantom Eye drone, which Boeing claims can fly at heights of 65,000 feet for up to four days without needing to refuel.
Having nearly tripled its net profits over the past five years, Boeing will only continue to profit and expand with its foray into drones and higher-tech modern warfare technology.
2. General Atomics
The creator of the Predator drone, this San Diego-based property is at the forefront of drone technology. First deployed in the Balkan Wars of the 1990’s, the Predator has since been used in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, Iran and the Philippines.
The company recently signed a deal to supply $197 million worth of drones to the United Arab Emirates and though it is privately held it is also a great barometer for the market. Watch it closely.
Increased General Atomics activity is a great buy sign for the rest of the sector.
3. Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT)
Lockheed Martin is a drone-tech giant, much like Boeing. It also has a competing drone called the Stalker — that can also stay in the air for days at a time. The company’s revenues are hovering around the $50 Billion mark and as the insider’s joke goes, “Lockheed bonds are a safer bet than U.S. Treasuries.”
If you stop to think about it, it’s not that much of a joke.
4. Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC)
Northrop is celebrating only its 20th anniversary in business. In spite of being the new kid on the block, NOC has rapidly risen towards the top of the military hardware supply business.
In 2012, the company sold $1.2 billion worth of drones to South Korea, but revenue has dropped from $26 Billion to $24 Billion over the past two years.
This may seem like a problem, but may actually signal a good buying opportunity with the impending explosion of the drone market.
5. AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV)
The infamous “Hummingbird Drone” ordered directly by the Pentagon is the prize of the AeroVironment company portfolio.
What makes the Hummingbird so unique is that in spite of being small, it is deadly accurate thanks to a tiny camera that can follow the targets every move from tens of thousands of feet above and away.
6. Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT)
Textron may sound like an iPhone app, but it most definitely is not. Textron’s drones have proven to be of such high performance and quality that the company has actually moved on to building unmanned underwater vehicles for various purposes, such as uncovering underwater explosives and enemy submarines.
7. General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD)
General Dynamics is one of the major donors to the Congressional Unmanned Systems Caucus, known as the drone caucus. This should tell you that GD is fully vested into this market.
As the owner of the luxury Gulfstream brand and having created the legendary F-16 fighter, GD is one of the “Founding Fathers” of the airspace industry and will certainly be one of the Top 3 to 5 players in the drone market for decades to come.
