Balefire LLC Invests $221,000 in Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC

Key Points

• Balefire LLC recently acquired 443 shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation, valued at approximately $221,000, highlighting institutional interest in the aerospace company.
• Northrop Grumman's stock has seen various price adjustments from analysts, with the average target price set at $588.85 and a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy".
• The company reported earnings of $7.11 per share, exceeding analyst estimates, and announced a quarterly $2.31 dividend with a yield of 1.6%.

Balefire 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 SEC. The fund bought 443 shares of the aerospace company's stock, valued at approximately $221,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in NOC. IMA Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman during the 1st quarter valued at $27,000. Saudi Central Bank acquired a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman during the 1st quarter valued at $28,000. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise acquired a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman during the 1st quarter valued at $30,000. Wood Tarver Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman during the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Flaharty Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman during the 1st quarter valued at $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.40% of the company's stock.

Northrop Grumman Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:NOC traded down $1.94 during trading on Friday, reaching $571.81. 1,478,206 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 649,222. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.93. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a 12 month low of $426.24 and a 12 month high of $600.99. The company has a 50 day moving average of $573.98 and a 200-day moving average of $521.61. The stock has a market capitalization of $81.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.49 and a beta of 0.13.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 22nd. The aerospace company reported $7.11 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $6.84 by $0.27. Northrop Grumman had a net margin of 9.74% and a return on equity of 25.52%. The business had revenue of $10.35 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.15 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $6.36 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 1.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2025 guidance at 25.000-25.400 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 28.05 EPS for the current year.

Northrop Grumman Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 17th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 2nd were paid a dividend of $2.31 per share. This represents a $9.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 2nd. Northrop Grumman's payout ratio is presently 34.06%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently issued reports on NOC. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Northrop Grumman from $480.00 to $585.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 23rd. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Northrop Grumman from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, September 5th. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Tuesday, July 22nd. Susquehanna lifted their price target on shares of Northrop Grumman from $557.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock a "positive" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 22nd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Northrop Grumman from $600.00 to $625.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $588.85.

Northrop Grumman Profile

Northrop Grumman Corporation operates as an aerospace and defense technology company in the United States, Asia/Pacific, Europe, and internationally. The company's Aeronautics Systems segment designs, develops, manufactures, integrates, and sustains aircraft systems. This segment also offers unmanned autonomous aircraft systems, including high-altitude long-endurance strategic ISR systems and vertical take-off and landing tactical ISR systems; and strategic long-range strike aircraft, tactical fighter and air dominance aircraft, and airborne battle management and command and control systems.