If passed, the bill would forbid defense contractors from paying dividends or buying back stock unless contractors meet specific performance thresholds on a yearly basis.
RTX and Northrop are the first major defense companies to declare fourth-quarter 2025 earnings this week, and their approach on dividends could signal how industry at large is interpreting the Jan. 7 executive order.
The challenge for Western democratic institutions is not a lack of capability — it is a structural one.