4,146 Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC Shares Sold by Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI

Key Points

• Citizens Financial Group cut its Northrop Grumman stake by 34.9% in the third quarter, selling 4,146 shares and retaining 7,731 shares valued at approximately $3.74 million. Institutional investors collectively own 83.4% of NOC.
• Northrop Grumman reported quarterly EPS of $7.89, exceeding the $7.18 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 6.7% year over year to $11.12 billion. Its $109.6 billion backlog and above-consensus 2026 EPS guidance support the long-term growth outlook, though margin pressure remains a risk.
• Wall Street sentiment is broadly favorable, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $642.04 versus the stock’s reported $551.38 opening price. Analysts’ views are not unanimous, including RBC Capital’s “hold” rating.

Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI lowered its position in Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC - Free Report) by 34.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 7,731 shares of the aerospace company's stock after selling 4,146 shares during the quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI's holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $3,738,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. NTV Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Northrop Grumman by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. NTV Asset Management LLC now owns 1,459 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $705,000 after purchasing an additional 26 shares in the last quarter. Ascent Wealth Partners LLC grew its stake in Northrop Grumman by 1.1% during the third quarter. Ascent Wealth Partners LLC now owns 5,093 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $2,462,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Northrop Grumman by 54.6% during the third quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC now owns 1,475 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $713,000 after purchasing an additional 521 shares during the last quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. raised its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman by 1.8% during the third quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 7,035 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $3,401,000 after acquiring an additional 123 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 3.4% during the 3rd quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,419 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $686,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 83.40% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Northrop Grumman

In other Northrop Grumman news, Director Mark Welsh, III sold 95 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $547.53, for a total value of $52,015.35. Following the transaction, the director directly 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 the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.21% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Northrop Grumman

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst targets remain supportive. Robert W. Baird upgraded NOC from “hold” to “outperform” and raised its price target to $675 from $550, implying substantial upside. BNP Paribas Exane also expects the stock to appreciate, while Guggenheim initiated or reiterated a “buy” rating. Baird upgrade BNP Paribas Exane outlook Guggenheim buy rating
• Positive Sentiment: Backlog and margins are key bullish themes. A review of third-quarter results highlighted a $109.6 billion backlog and signs of a potential margin inflection, supporting longer-term revenue visibility and earnings growth. Northrop Grumman Q3 backlog analysis
• Positive Sentiment: Recent results exceeded expectations. NOC reported quarterly EPS of $7.89 versus the $7.18 consensus estimate, with revenue up 6.7% year over year. Fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $29.35–$29.75 is also above consensus, reinforcing the earnings-growth case.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst opinion is mixed. RBC Capital assigned a “hold” rating even as a separate RBC forecast pointed to strong potential appreciation. This divergence may encourage investors to take profits following the recent rally. RBC hold rating
• Negative Sentiment: Margin pressure remains a risk. Commentary on NOC and other defense contractors noted that strong backlogs and guidance improvements are accompanied by margin pressures and paused buybacks, which could weigh on near-term valuation.

Northrop Grumman Trading Down 0.0%

NOC opened at $551.38 on Monday. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a 52 week low of $470.06 and a 52 week high of $774.00. The stock's fifty day moving average is $521.15 and its two-hundred day moving average is $546.89. The company has a market capitalization of $78.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.39, a PEG ratio of 3.02 and a beta of -0.11. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 20th. The aerospace company reported $7.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $7.18 by $0.71. The business had revenue of $11.12 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.14 billion. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 23.46% and a net margin of 10.37%. The business's revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $7.67 EPS. Analysts forecast that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 29.53 earnings per share for the current year.

Northrop Grumman Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 31st were given a $2.47 dividend. This represents a $9.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 31st. Northrop Grumman's dividend payout ratio is 31.17%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

NOC has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Northrop Grumman from $694.00 to $698.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday. Susquehanna cut their target price on Northrop Grumman from $785.00 to $655.00 and set a "positive" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Robert W. Baird set a $675.00 target price on shares of Northrop Grumman and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Northrop Grumman from $745.00 to $765.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Citigroup increased their target price on Northrop Grumman from $617.00 to $667.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Northrop Grumman has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $642.04.

About Northrop Grumman

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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