Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) Stock Price Target Raised at BNP Paribas Exane

Key Points

• BNP Paribas Exane raised Northrop Grumman’s price target to $600 from $540 and maintained an “outperform” rating, implying 11.22% upside from the prior close.
• Northrop Grumman reported quarterly EPS of $7.89, beating the $7.18 consensus estimate, while revenue increased 6.7% year over year to $11.12 billion.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with 15 Buy ratings and a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating; the average price target is $641.35.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC - Get Free Report) had its price objective upped by equities research analysts at BNP Paribas Exane from $540.00 to $600.00 in a report issued on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an "outperform" rating on the aerospace company's stock. BNP Paribas Exane's price target indicates a potential upside of 11.22% from the company's previous close.

A number of other brokerages have also commented on NOC. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman from $635.00 to $600.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $620.00 price target (down from $800.00) on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Citigroup lifted their target price on Northrop Grumman from $617.00 to $667.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. TD Cowen dropped their target price on Northrop Grumman from $590.00 to $540.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 9th. Finally, Barclays began coverage on Northrop Grumman in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. They issued an "underweight" rating and a $419.00 target price on the stock. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $641.35.

Northrop Grumman Trading Up 1.0%

NYSE:NOC traded up $5.45 on Wednesday, reaching $539.45. The company's stock had a trading volume of 518,394 shares, compared to its average volume of 924,820. Northrop Grumman has a 1-year low of $470.06 and a 1-year high of $774.00. The business's 50-day moving average price is $523.03 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $550.14. The firm has a market cap of $76.62 billion, a PE ratio of 17.13, a PEG ratio of 2.99 and a beta of -0.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.17.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 20th. The aerospace company reported $7.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $7.18 by $0.71. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 24.25% and a net margin of 10.48%. The business had revenue of $11.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.14 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $7.67 EPS. Northrop Grumman's quarterly revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Northrop Grumman will post 28.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Northrop Grumman

In related news, Director Mark Welsh, III sold 95 shares of Northrop Grumman stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $547.53, for a total transaction of $52,015.35. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 4,393 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,405,299.29. This trade represents a 2.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.21% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Northrop Grumman

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Northrop Grumman by 1.3% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 13,169,195 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $6,707,203,000 after purchasing an additional 168,267 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Northrop Grumman in the second quarter valued at approximately $6,001,616,000. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,298,141,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman by 0.6% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 960,690 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $655,373,000 after purchasing an additional 5,811 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc increased its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman by 2.2% during the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 747,121 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $380,516,000 after purchasing an additional 16,195 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 83.40% of the company's stock.

Key Northrop Grumman News

Here are the key news stories impacting Northrop Grumman this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 earnings beat estimates: Northrop Grumman reported adjusted diluted EPS of $7.89, above the roughly $7.18-$7.22 analyst consensus. Revenue rose 6.7% year over year to $11.12 billion, broadly in line with expectations. Reuters report on Northrop Grumman earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Guidance was raised: Management increased its 2026 adjusted EPS outlook by $0.70 at the midpoint and raised its segment operating-income outlook, while maintaining a full-year revenue forecast of approximately $44 billion. Zacks report on Northrop Grumman guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Record backlog improves visibility: Backlog reached approximately $109.6 billion, up about 20% year over year, with third-quarter awards of $16.4 billion and a book-to-bill ratio of roughly 1.5. The backlog supports management’s target for 5%-7% sales growth in 2027 and reflects sustained demand across defense and space programs, including the B-21. Yahoo Finance report on Northrop Grumman growth and B-21 spending
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts became more constructive: Baird upgraded the stock to Outperform and raised its target to $675 from $550, while other analysts, including RBC, also lifted targets after the earnings beat and guidance increase. Benzinga report on analyst forecasts
• Neutral Sentiment: Higher capital spending tied to growth initiatives and B-21 investments could pressure near-term cash flow and create execution challenges, even as it supports longer-term expansion.
• Negative Sentiment: Political uncertainty remains a risk for defense contractors, as potential changes in congressional control could affect program funding and procurement priorities.

Northrop Grumman Company Profile

Northrop Grumman Corporation NYSE: NOC is a global aerospace and defense company that develops and produces systems for government and commercial customers, with the U.S. government representing its primary customer base. The company operates across aerospace, defense, space, cybersecurity and advanced technology markets.

Its products and services include military aircraft and autonomous systems, space systems and satellites, missile defense technologies, command-and-control systems, cyber solutions, sensors, communications networks and other mission-critical systems.

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