Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) Upgraded to "Strong-Buy" at Guggenheim

Key Points

• Guggenheim upgraded Northrop Grumman to “strong-buy.” The broader analyst consensus is “Moderate Buy,” with an average price target of $659.86.
• Northrop Grumman reported quarterly EPS of $7.68, beating estimates of $6.82, while revenue rose 5.1% year over year to $10.88 billion.
• The stock opened at $530.70, down 0.1%, and remains below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages; institutional investors own 83.4% of outstanding shares.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Guggenheim to a "strong-buy" rating in a note issued to investors on Monday, Zacks reports.

Other equities research analysts have also issued reports about the company. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $620.00 price target on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman from $620.00 to $580.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Friday, June 26th. Raymond James Financial reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Monday, June 15th. TD Cowen increased their target price on shares of Northrop Grumman from $550.00 to $590.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 19th. Finally, Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Northrop Grumman from $617.00 to $667.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $659.86.

Northrop Grumman Stock Down 0.1%

NYSE:NOC opened at $530.70 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $75.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.11 and a beta of -0.11. Northrop Grumman has a one year low of $479.02 and a one year high of $774.00. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $542.98 and a 200 day simple moving average of $587.21. 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 announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 21st. The aerospace company reported $7.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.82 by $0.86. The firm had revenue of $10.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $10.80 billion. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 24.25% and a net margin of 10.48%.Northrop Grumman's revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $8.15 earnings per share. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.600-29.100 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Northrop Grumman will post 28.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Northrop Grumman

In related news, Director Mark Welsh, III sold 95 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 $2,405,299.29. The trade was a 2.12% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available 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 Investors Weigh In On Northrop Grumman

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Kestra Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman by 4.4% in the 4th quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC now owns 353 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $201,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in Northrop Grumman by 6.8% during the fourth quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $134,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. Diversified Portfolios Inc. grew its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Diversified Portfolios Inc. now owns 1,789 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $1,020,000 after purchasing an additional 16 shares during the period. South Plains Financial Inc. grew its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. South Plains Financial Inc. now owns 896 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $511,000 after purchasing an additional 16 shares during the period. Finally, Tobias Financial Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Northrop Grumman by 4.7% in the fourth quarter. Tobias Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 379 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $216,000 after buying an additional 17 shares in the last quarter. 83.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a global aerospace and defense company that develops and delivers systems, platforms and technologies for government and commercial customers. Its activities include the design and production of military aircraft, autonomous systems, spacecraft, launch vehicles, missile-defense systems, command-and-control networks, cyber solutions, sensors and other mission-critical technologies.

The company serves the U.S. Department of Defense, other U.S. government agencies and international customers.

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