HII Hosts Secretary of The Navy and Top Naval Leaders at Ingalls Shipbuilding
Rhea-AI Summary
HII (NYSE: HII) hosted Secretary of the Navy John Phelan, CNO Adm. Daryl Caudle, and Commandant Gen. Eric Smith at Ingalls Shipbuilding on Jan. 7, 2026, for a shipyard tour and discussions on workforce initiatives and the Navy’s “Golden Fleet.”
Key points: Ingalls is supporting early engineering for the Navy’s next battleship and was selected to design and construct the Navy’s future small surface combatant (SSC) based on the Legend-class cutter design. Leadership toured production, including amphibious assault ship Bougainville (LHA 8) and delivered destroyer Ted Stevens (DDG 128). HII has invested more than $1 billion in Ingalls infrastructure, facilities, and advanced toolsets to expand capacity and increase shipbuilding throughput.
Positive
- Invested $1+ billion in Ingalls infrastructure and advanced toolsets
- Selected to design and construct the Navy’s future small surface combatant (SSC)
- Supporting early engineering and design for the Navy’s next battleship
- Active production visibility: Bougainville (LHA 8) under construction and DDG 128 Ted Stevens recently delivered
Negative
- None.
News Market Reaction
On the day this news was published, HII declined 3.03%, reflecting a moderate negative market reaction. Argus tracked a peak move of +2.9% during that session. Our momentum scanner triggered 17 alerts that day, indicating notable trading interest and price volatility. This price movement removed approximately $478M from the company's valuation, bringing the market cap to $15.29B at that time.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
HII fell 3.03% while momentum-screened peers KTOS and AVAV moved up 6.41% and 7.70%, respectively. Broader aerospace & defense names in the peer list also show smaller declines, suggesting today’s move is more stock-specific than sector-driven.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 05 | Defense leadership visit | Positive | +1.1% | Hosted Secretary of War at Newport News to showcase throughput efforts. |
| Dec 29 | Ship delivery | Positive | -1.1% | Delivered Arleigh Burke-class destroyer Ted Stevens (DDG 128) to U.S. Navy. |
| Dec 19 | New SSC contract | Positive | +4.3% | Selected to design and build Navy’s future small surface combatant. |
| Dec 16 | Submarine milestone | Positive | -0.7% | Announced pressure hull completion milestone for Oklahoma (SSN 802). |
| Dec 11 | Allied visit | Positive | +1.1% | Hosted Australian delegation in support of AUKUS workforce collaboration. |
Operational and defense-relationship news often elicit mixed reactions, with both aligned and contrary price moves following generally positive headlines.
Over the past month, HII has released a series of positive operational updates, including hosting senior U.S. and allied defense leaders and delivering key naval platforms. Notable items include selection to build the Navy’s future small surface combatant on Dec 19, 2025 and delivery of destroyer Ted Stevens (DDG 128) on Dec 29, 2025. Price reactions to these constructive developments have alternated between gains and pullbacks, indicating that strong fundamental news does not always translate into immediate upside.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement highlights HII’s strategic alignment with long-term U.S. naval priorities, including the “Golden Fleet,” next-generation battleship discussions, and the future SSC platform. The visit by top Navy and Marine Corps leaders underlines Ingalls’ importance, while prior news shows a pattern of major program wins and deliveries. Investors may watch how the more than $1 billion in Ingalls investments, workforce initiatives, and throughput gains translate into sustained program performance and backlog over time.
Key Terms
small surface combatant (SSC) technical
Legend-class national security cutter technical
America-class amphibious assault ship technical
Arleigh Burke-class destroyer technical
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
PASCAGOULA, Miss., Jan. 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HII (NYSE: HII) hosted John Phelan, secretary of the Navy, along with Adm. Daryl Caudle, chief of naval operations, and Gen. Eric Smith, commandant of the Marine Corps, at its Ingalls Shipbuilding division Wednesday. The senior leaders toured the shipyard, gained insights into HII’s workforce initiatives and discussed Ingalls’ role in delivering the U.S. Navy’s “Golden Fleet” of advanced surface combatants.
“Ingalls Shipbuilding represents the ingenuity and commitment required to meet the Navy’s current and future needs. The shipbuilders I met today are on the front lines of American strength — men and women whose hard work protects our national security, underwrites our liberty, and sustains the way of life we are sworn to defend. There is no maritime dominance without their skill, innovation, and relentless commitment to excellence,” said John C. Phelan, 79th secretary of the Navy.
“We want to thank Secretary Phelan and Department of Navy leadership for visiting with our shipbuilders who are proud to support America’s efforts to maintain maritime supremacy,” said Chris Kastner, HII’s president and CEO. “Across our shipyards we recognize the U.S. Navy’s urgent need for ships. HII has worked diligently in partnership with our customer to expand our capacity to deliver on this increased and urgent demand, by investing in our yards, establishing partnerships, increasing our hiring retention, and increasing shipbuilder proficiency to support performance.”
Ingalls Shipbuilding is actively supporting early engineering and design discussions for the Navy’s next battleship, which is part of the broader “Golden Fleet” effort to modernize and leverage state-of-the-art capabilities. Concurrently, Ingalls Shipbuilding was selected to design and construct the Navy’s future small surface combatant (SSC) platform, leveraging the proven design of the Legend-class national security cutter.
The decisive combat power our Navy needs doesn’t start at sea — it starts right here, on the deck plates, with the welders, engineers, planners, and tradesmen who show up every day to build America’s Navy,” Caudle said. “What shipbuilders do matters and our Sailors depend on it. We’re working with shipyard leaders and industry partners to bring the President's vision for our Golden Fleet to life and what it will take to make that vision real.”
During the visit, Phelan, Caudle and Smith met with HII and Ingalls leadership to discuss current shipbuilding programs and observed the advanced manufacturing technologies that are being utilized in the shipyard to increase shipbuilding throughput. The leaders also spent time aboard America-class amphibious assault ship Bougainville (LHA 8), currently under construction, and the recently delivered Arleigh Burke-class destroyer Ted Stevens (DDG 128).
The Navy and Marine Corps visit highlighted HII’s commitment to aligning its engineering expertise, manufacturing capabilities, and workforce proficiency with the Navy’s long-term operational needs.
“The work being done here is vital to our national interest,” Smith said. “These workers should be proud to know they are directly contributing to America’s Naval Expeditionary Force. These ships will project American power across the globe, with Marines aboard ready to respond to any crisis or conflict.”
HII has invested more than
About HII
HII is a global, all-domain defense provider. HII’s mission is to deliver the world’s most powerful ships and all-domain solutions in service of the nation, creating the advantage for our customers to protect peace and freedom around the world.
As the nation’s largest military shipbuilder, and with a more than 135-year history of advancing U.S. national security, HII delivers critical capabilities extending from ships to unmanned systems, cyber, ISR, AI/ML and synthetic training. Headquartered in Virginia, HII’s workforce is 44,000 strong. For more information, visit:
- HII on the web: https://www.HII.com/
- HII on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeamHII
- HII on X: https://www.twitter.com/WeAreHII
- HII on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/WeAreHII
Contact:
Kimberly Aguillard
Kimberly.K.Aguillard@HII-co.com
(228) 355-5663
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8000976d-3146-4bda-a49f-81c1f7d6e1fa
FAQ
What did HII (HII) announce about investments at Ingalls Shipbuilding on Jan. 7, 2026?
Was Ingalls Shipbuilding selected for any new Navy platforms in the HII announcement?
How is Ingalls Shipbuilding involved in the Navy’s battleship program according to HII’s Jan. 7, 2026 visit?
Which ships did senior Navy leaders tour during the HII visit to Ingalls on Jan. 7, 2026?
What workforce topics did HII and Navy leadership discuss at Ingalls Shipbuilding?
