IDCC vs LMT: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?

Same yardstick, side by side (as of October 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.

Reading it: LMT is the cheaper of the two on forward earnings, but cheaper is not the same as better. Pair the valuation with growth (how far the forward P/E sits below the trailing P/E) and risk (beta) before you decide.

The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. IDCC and LMT share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.

This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined IDCC and LMT exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

InterDigital is a wireless and video technology research and patent licensing company. The company develops fundamental technology used in cellular standards (5G, 6G, prior generations), video coding standards (HEVC, VVC), and other communications and media technologies. The company contributes patents to standard-setting organizations and earns recurring licensing revenue from device manufacturers (smartphone OEMs, consumer electronics manufacturers) that implement those standards.

Full IDCC guide

Lockheed Martin is the largest defense contractor in the world, generating the vast majority of its revenue from the US government and allied militaries. It is organized into four segments: Aeronautics (home of the F-35 Lightning II, F-22, and C-130, the largest segment), Rotary and Mission Systems (Sikorsky helicopters, combat systems, radar, and sensors), Missiles and Fire Control (precision missiles, HIMARS, PAC-3 interceptors, and hypersonics), and Space (satellites, missile-defense systems, and strategic and hypersonic programs). Lockheed designs, builds, and sustains some of the most advanced and mission-critical weapons systems in the world, including the F-35, its single largest program, which generates long-tail revenue from production, upgrades, and decades of sustainment. The company makes money under long-term government contracts, with a large multi-year backlog that provides revenue visibility. It pursues hypersonics, missile defense, and space as growth areas. As a flagship defense name, Lockheed is a steady cash generator that returns substantial capital to shareholders. Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland.

Full LMT guide

Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.

• IDCC drivers: 5G licensing scale-up; Video standards licensing expansion.
• LMT drivers: The F-35 franchise; Rising defense budgets and munitions demand.

A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: Licensing disputes can suspend royalty receipts during periods of litigation. For LMT, lockheed depends overwhelmingly on US and allied defense budgets, so spending cuts, continuing resolutions, shutdowns, or shifting priorities directly threaten revenue.

Growth-minded investors who believe the theme has years to run tend to accept the richer multiple for more upside; value-minded investors lean toward the cheaper forward earnings and steadier profile. Pick IDCC if you believe its drivers more; LMT if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the IDCC and LMT guides.

IDCC. InterDigital's valuation reflects the high-margin licensing business model and a re-rating in 2026: the trailing P/E is near 38 and the forward multiple about 29 at the October 16 price, against roughly 15x in early 2026. Earnings stay lumpy because licensing settlements land in single quarters, as the $4.62 second-quarter EPS against a $1.52 estimate showed, while multi-year contracted licensing provides smoother underlying economics. Price-to-free-cash-flow, near 14 on trailing figures, may be more useful than trailing P/E.

LMT. At about $545 a share on October 16, 2026, Lockheed trades near 20 times trailing and 17 times forward earnings, about 1.6 times sales, a defense-sector multiple supported by a large backlog, predictable government revenue and free cash flow that funds a growing dividend and buybacks. Trailing net income of about $6.3 billion is already above full-year 2025's $5.0 billion, and analysts expect about $30.42 of EPS for 2026 and $32.73 for 2027. The October 22 third-quarter report (consensus about $7.52 EPS on $20.46 billion revenue) is the next checkpoint, with program charges on fixed-price contracts the main swing factor.

Headline figures (approximate, October 2026): IDCC shows revenue (ttm) ~$789 million, 2026 revenue guidance ~$775-845 million (raised from ~$675-775 million), annualized recurring revenue ~$626 million (Q2 2026, +13% y/y), operating margin ~54% (licensing model); LMT shows revenue (ttm) ~$77 billion, q2 2026 revenue ~$20.1 billion (up ~10.5% YoY), q2 2026 eps $7.94 vs ~$7.20 est., operating margin (ttm) ~12%.

IDCC and LMT are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined IDCC and LMT exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.