Aptus Capital Advisors LLC Has $29.31 Million Stock Position in Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC

Key Points

• Aptus Capital Advisors raised its stake in Northrop Grumman to 48,098 shares (a 6.4% increase), valued at about $29.31 million per the latest filing.
• Northrop beat Q results with $7.23 EPS and $11.71 billion revenue (up 9.6% YoY) and set FY2026 guidance of $27.40–$27.90 EPS (sell‑side consensus ~28.05).
• Company insiders have been net sellers recently—32,431 shares (~$21.97 million) sold over the past 90 days—leaving insiders with roughly 0.23% ownership.

Aptus Capital Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC - Free Report) by 6.4% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 48,098 shares of the aerospace company's stock after acquiring an additional 2,884 shares during the period. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC's holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $29,307,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of NOC. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 200.0% in the 3rd quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 48 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares during the period. Parvin Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Northrop Grumman during the second quarter worth about $25,000. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. bought a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman in the third quarter worth about $30,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman in the second quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, NewSquare Capital LLC lifted its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman by 75.0% in the 2nd quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 63 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 27 shares during the last quarter. 83.40% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Northrop Grumman news, VP Benjamin R. Davies sold 2,189 shares of Northrop Grumman stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $719.61, for a total value of $1,575,226.29. Following the sale, the vice president owned 151 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $108,661.11. The trade was a 93.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CAO Michael A. Hardesty sold 147 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $732.98, for a total transaction of $107,748.06. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 2,525 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,850,774.50. The trade was a 5.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 32,431 shares of company stock valued at $21,969,404. 0.23% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Northrop Grumman Stock Down 1.8%

Shares of NYSE:NOC opened at $740.25 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. The stock has a market cap of $105.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.41, a PEG ratio of 5.60 and a beta of 0.03. The business's 50 day moving average is $671.79 and its 200 day moving average is $613.12. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a 12-month low of $450.13 and a 12-month high of $774.00.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The aerospace company reported $7.23 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.97 by $0.26. Northrop Grumman had a net margin of 9.97% and a return on equity of 25.57%. The company had revenue of $11.71 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.61 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $6.39 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2026 guidance at 27.400-27.900 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 28.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Northrop Grumman Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 11th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 23rd will be paid a dividend of $2.31 per share. This represents a $9.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 23rd. Northrop Grumman's payout ratio is presently 31.72%.

Trending Headlines about Northrop Grumman

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

• Positive Sentiment: Won a contract to supply aircraft protection systems to Germany — strengthens European sales and strengthens logistics/support ties with a NATO ally, adding near‑term revenue and program visibility. Northrop Grumman to supply aircraft protection systems to Germany
• Positive Sentiment: Received Space Force DARC hardware orders and is advancing Site‑2 work for GEO tracking — reinforces Northrop’s leadership in space surveillance and supports multi‑year program revenue and margins. Northrop Grumman’s (NOC) DARC Site 2 Hardware Order Shows the Space Force is Still Building Out GEO Tracking Capacity
• Positive Sentiment: New U.S. Space Force and Navy contract actions extend the company’s backlog and deepen long‑term defense ties — supports the company’s large backlog that underpins revenue visibility and FY26 guidance. Northrop Grumman Contracts Extend Backlog And Deepen Long Term Defense Ties
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector analyses highlight a structural shift toward tech‑heavy defense spending (AI, ISR, unmanned systems) where Northrop is a core blue‑chip player — bullish for the long term but not an immediate price catalyst. The New War Portfolio: 3 Stocks Built for a High-Tech War (MarketBeat)
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces note that longer conflicts and U.S. restocking needs benefit defense suppliers broadly; Northrop is an indirect beneficiary but not always the top supplier for tactical missile restocking. Kratos Defense and 5 Other Stocks That Can Benefit From the US Restocking Its Missiles
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysis of NOC’s past run‑up shows revenue growth, margin recovery in Aeronautics, and record backlog drove a big P/E expansion — explains why investors have been willing to bid the stock higher but also why profit‑taking can be swift. What's Driving NOC Stock Higher? (Forbes)
• Negative Sentiment: Short‑term selling across defense stocks after escalations in the Middle East (including strikes and headlines) has pressured shares; geopolitical headlines can cause volatility even while defense budgets may rise. US strikes in Iran 'reinforce' a coming surge in defense spending
• Negative Sentiment: Market commentary and TV segments noted defense names (including NOC) sliding amid the latest geopolitical headlines — indicating investor rotation and increased intraday volatility despite the underlying contract wins. Don't underestimate the role of Palantir, AI in Iran conflict (Yahoo video)

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on NOC shares. Susquehanna reaffirmed a "positive" rating and issued a $752.00 price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. TD Cowen reissued a "hold" rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Wednesday, December 24th. Truist Financial reissued a "hold" rating and issued a $623.00 price target (down from $688.00) on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a "market perform" rating and issued a $727.00 price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Monday, January 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $693.60.

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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