After 36 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the world feels more dangerous than ever with conflicts in the Middle East, border wars in Southeast Asia, and the largest land war in Europe since World War II ongoing. Investing in defense stocks is increasingly popular due to growing military budgets globally.

Textron, a defense contractor, produces aircraft, helicopters, and armored cars for the military. With a market capitalization of $15.8 billion, Textron stock is priced at 19 times trailing earnings, making it one of the cheapest defense stocks by valuation.

Huntington Ingalls, a shipbuilder for the U.S. Navy, specializes in nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines. Priced at just over $13.2 billion in market capitalization, the stock costs about 1.1x annual sales valuation, making it slightly cheaper than Textron.

The U.S. Navy chose Huntington Ingalls to design and build a new warship, leading to a 4% stock price increase. This new contract could potentially bring in significant revenue as the Navy looks to replace canceled frigates with Huntington’s design.

Both Textron and Huntington Ingalls stocks are affordable for defense investors. However, Huntington Ingalls may be the preferred choice due to recent contract wins and growth potential in revenue.

Considerations about investing in Huntington Ingalls Industries are discussed, with recommendations from the Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team on the top 10 stocks for investors to buy now, excluding Huntington Ingalls. The article highlights previous stock picks that have generated significant returns.

Rich Smith has no position in the mentioned stocks, but the Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Boeing, and recommends Textron, with a disclosure policy in place. The article originally published by The Motley Fool discusses two no-brainer defense stocks to invest $500 in.

Read more at Yahoo Finance: 2 No-Brainer Defense Stocks to Buy With $500 Right Now