8,727 Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC Shares Purchased by Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V.

Key Points

• Robeco Institutional Asset Management increased its Northrop Grumman stake by 10% in the third quarter, adding 8,727 shares to own 96,123 shares valued at approximately $46.5 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively hold 83.4% of NOC.
• Northrop Grumman reported adjusted quarterly earnings of $7.89 per share, beating estimates of $7.18, while revenue rose 6.7% year over year to $11.12 billion. Management raised its fiscal 2026 EPS outlook and cited a record backlog of roughly $110 billion, supported by defense and space programs such as B-21.
• Analyst sentiment is generally positive, with the stock carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $641.83. However, higher capital spending, margin pressure, B-21 investment needs and paused buybacks remain potential risks.

Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. increased its stake in Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC - Free Report) by 10.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 96,123 shares of the aerospace company's stock after acquiring an additional 8,727 shares during the quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. owned about 0.07% of Northrop Grumman worth $46,474,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in NOC. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in Northrop Grumman in the second quarter valued at approximately $6,001,616,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman during the second quarter valued at about $1,298,141,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in Northrop Grumman during the 2nd quarter valued at about $376,135,000. Corient Private Wealth LP bought a new stake in Northrop Grumman during the second quarter worth $44,039,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG bought a new stake in shares of Northrop Grumman in the 2nd quarter worth $194,058,000. 83.40% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Northrop Grumman News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 earnings beat and guidance raise: Northrop Grumman reported adjusted earnings of $7.89 per share, well above the $7.18 consensus estimate. Management raised its fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS outlook to $29.35-$29.75, compared with the $28.97 analyst consensus, while revenue guidance of $43.8 billion-$44.3 billion remained broadly in line with expectations. NOC's Q3 Earnings Call Highlights 2027 Growth and B-21 Spending
• Positive Sentiment: Record backlog supports future revenue: Backlog reached approximately $109.6 billion-$110 billion, up about 20% year over year. Investors viewed the backlog as evidence of strong demand across Northrop’s defense and space businesses, including the B-21 program. Management is targeting 5%-7% sales growth in 2027. Q3 2026 Earnings Call Highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment improved: Robert W. Baird upgraded NOC from Hold to Outperform and raised its price target to $675 from $550. BNP Paribas Exane also lifted its target to $600 and maintained an Outperform rating, citing the “beat and raise” quarter and longer-term growth prospects. Northrop Grumman Analysts Boost Their Forecasts
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor focus remains on execution: The earnings discussion highlighted multi-year growth opportunities and strong defense demand, while the AUSA 2026 interview provided additional management visibility. However, RBC only raised its target to $550 and kept a Sector Perform rating, indicating that some analysts view the favorable outlook as already reflected in the shares.
• Negative Sentiment: Spending and margin risks persist: Higher capital expenditures, B-21 investment requirements, margin pressure, and paused buybacks could limit near-term cash returns and create execution challenges despite the strong backlog. Are RTX Corporation and Northrop Grumman Ready to Break Out?

Northrop Grumman Trading Up 2.5%

NOC opened at $552.82 on Friday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $521.83 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $547.91. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a one year low of $470.06 and a one year high of $774.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $78.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.64, a PEG ratio of 3.08 and a beta of -0.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.23 and a quick ratio of 1.06.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 20th. The aerospace company reported $7.89 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $7.18 by $0.71. The business had revenue of $11.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $11.14 billion. Northrop Grumman had a net margin of 10.37% and a return on equity of 23.46%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $7.67 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 29.51 EPS for the current year.

Northrop Grumman Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Mark Welsh, III sold 95 shares of the 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 completion of the transaction, 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 legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, 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 currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

NOC has been the topic of a number of research reports. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed 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. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman from $525.00 to $550.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Barclays upped their target price on Northrop Grumman from $419.00 to $430.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research note on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman from $635.00 to $600.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, UBS Group upped their target price on Northrop Grumman from $694.00 to $698.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $641.83.

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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