22,484 Shares in Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC Purchased by Empowered Funds LLC

Key Points

• Empowered Funds LLC purchased 22,484 Northrop Grumman shares worth approximately $11.45 million during the second quarter. Institutional investors collectively own 83.4% of the company.
• Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating, with an average price target of $661.30, despite several recent target-price reductions.
• Northrop Grumman exceeded quarterly EPS expectations, reporting $7.68 versus the $6.82 consensus, while revenue rose 5.1% year over year. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $2.47 per share, implying a 1.8% annual yield.

Empowered Funds LLC bought a new stake in shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 22,484 shares of the aerospace company's stock, valued at approximately $11,451,000.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Financial Life Planners bought a new stake in Northrop Grumman in the 1st quarter worth approximately $30,000. Torren Management LLC purchased a new stake in Northrop Grumman during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Karpus Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Northrop Grumman by 380.0% during the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 48 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the period. Finally, Motiv8 Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman in the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.40% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Mark A. Welsh III sold 95 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $547.53, for a total transaction of $52,015.35. Following the sale, the director directly owned 4,393 shares in the company, valued at $2,405,299.29. This trade represents a 2.12% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.21% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have weighed in on NOC shares. Susquehanna lowered their target price on Northrop Grumman from $785.00 to $655.00 and set a "positive" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on Northrop Grumman from $603.00 to $533.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Raymond James Financial reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Monday, June 15th. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $620.00 price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of Northrop Grumman from $550.00 to $590.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $661.30.

Northrop Grumman Stock Up 0.1%

NYSE NOC opened at $545.83 on Friday. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a 52 week low of $479.02 and a 52 week high of $774.00. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81. The company has a market capitalization of $77.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.53 and a beta of -0.11. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $542.33 and its 200-day moving average price is $604.78.

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 analysts' consensus estimates of $6.82 by $0.86. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 24.25% and a net margin of 10.48%.The company had revenue of $10.88 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.80 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $8.15 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.600-29.100 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 28.97 earnings per share for the current year.

Northrop Grumman Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 31st will be paid a $2.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 31st. This represents a $9.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. Northrop Grumman's dividend payout ratio is 31.39%.

About Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman Corporation NYSE: NOC is a leading U.S.-based aerospace and defense company that designs, builds and sustains advanced systems, products and technologies for government and commercial customers. Formed through the combination of Northrop and Grumman businesses in the 1990s, the company's portfolio spans manned and unmanned aircraft, space systems, missile defense, radar and sensor systems, and integrated command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) solutions.

The company's work includes airframe and platform manufacturing, space hardware and satellite systems, advanced mission systems and cybersecurity services, as well as logistics, sustainment and modernization programs.

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