How Rearmament and Disarmament Cycles Shaped Defence Industry Valuations (1945–2025)
16 pages · PDF · 05 September 2025 · Licensed single-user copy, watermarked to the buyer
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About this report
Policies of rearmament and disarmament since World War II have driven pronounced cycles in military spending that heavily influenced the financial fortunes of major defence companies.
This report traces the period 1945–2025 in the United States and Europe, examining how political decisions on military expenditure translated into market outcomes for key defence firms (e.g. Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Boeing Defense, BAE Systems, Airbus Defence, Leonardo, Thales, Rheinmetall, Saab).
Key questions this report answers
- How did rearmament and disarmament cycles from 1945 to 2025 drive military spending and the financial fortunes of major defence companies?
- How did successive phases (post-WWII demobilisation, Vietnam, Reagan-era buildup, post-Cold War peace dividend, War on Terror, post-2014 rearmament) translate policy into market outcomes?
- What recurring patterns link military doctrine to equity performance for firms like Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, Rheinmetall and Saab?
- What strategic insights emerge for defence-sector investors across the phases of rearmament cycles?
Inside this report
- Post-WWII Demobilization and Early Cold War Rearmament (1945–1955)
- Vietnam War Buildup and 1970s Détente (1960–1979)
- Reagan-Era Rearmament and the Cold War’s End (1980–1991)
- Post-Cold War Peace Dividend and Industry Consolidation (1990s)
- War on Terror Buildup and 21st-Century Resurgence (2001–2010)
- Renewed Great-Power Rearmament (2014–2025)
- Recurring Patterns and Strategic Insights
- Equity Performance Across the Phases of Rearmament Cycles
Who it's for
Strategy, corporate-development and investment teams that need an ecosystem-level view — budgets, industrial capacity and technology landscapes — before committing capital or capacity.
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Methodology, format & delivery
DFM reports are built from primary and official sources — TED procurement notices, CORDIS and the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, EIB operations, the NATO Innovation Fund portfolio, SIPRI data, official budget documents and company disclosures — read together with the underlying legal texts. Sources are cited in the document; it reflects them as of its publication date (05 September 2025). You receive a 16-page PDF, watermarked to you on every page, delivered on the confirmation page and by e-mail immediately after checkout (personal link valid 72 hours, up to 5 downloads). Guest checkout, single-user licence — Terms of Sale.
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