US defense stocks rise as Russia-Ukraine talks in focus

Axon Enterprise

18/02/2025 14:47

** Shares of U.S. defense companies rise broadly in early
trading, tracking European peers, as investors eye talks between
United States and Russia on possible Ukraine peace deal 
    ** Lockheed Martin  LMT.N  climbs 0.9%, RTX Corporation
 RTX.N  rises 1.7%, Howmet Aerospace  HWM.N  gains 0.9% 
    ** Northrop Grumman gains 1.3%, L3Harris Technologies
 LHX.N  rises 0.8%, Axon Enterprise  AXON.O  up 3.5% 
    ** S&P 500 Aerospace and Defense sector index  .SPLRCAERO 
up 1.2% 
    ** European arms manufacturers have rallied for two days as
talks began, pushing STOXX 600  .STOXX  to fresh record highs
 .EU  
    ** Investors eyeing prospects for higher European defence
spending as the region's governments face pressure from United
States to increase military spending 
    ** Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says the country
and United States agreed to start process to settle Ukraine
conflict
    ** Aerospace and Defense index up 6.9% this year, after
rising 12.4% in 2024 

 (Reporting by Lisa Mattackal)
 ((LisaPauline.Mattackal@thomsonreuters.com;))