Bessemer Group Inc. Grows Stake in Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC

Key Points

• Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its Northrop Grumman stake by 11.1% in the first quarter, adding 58,690 shares and bringing its total holding to 587,121 shares valued at about $400.6 million.
• Other institutional investors also increased positions, and hedge funds and institutions now own 83.4% of Northrop Grumman’s stock, underscoring continued professional investor interest in the defense contractor.
• Northrop Grumman reported solid recent fundamentals, with Q1 earnings and revenue both topping estimates, while analysts’ views remain mixed-to-positive amid some target cuts; the company also raised its quarterly dividend to $2.47 per share.

Bessemer Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC - Free Report) by 11.1% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 587,121 shares of the aerospace company's stock after purchasing an additional 58,690 shares during the quarter. Northrop Grumman accounts for 0.6% of Bessemer Group Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest holding. Bessemer Group Inc. owned approximately 0.41% of Northrop Grumman worth $400,557,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of NOC. Jag Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Northrop Grumman by 11.3% in the 1st quarter. Jag Capital Management LLC now owns 984 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $671,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. SteelPeak Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Northrop Grumman by 56.5% in the first quarter. SteelPeak Wealth LLC now owns 7,075 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $4,827,000 after purchasing an additional 2,554 shares in the last quarter. Independent Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Northrop Grumman in the first quarter valued at about $1,950,000. BCGM Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Northrop Grumman by 1.8% in the first quarter. BCGM Wealth Management LLC now owns 7,398 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $5,047,000 after purchasing an additional 133 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wealthfront Advisers LLC increased its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman by 5.6% during the 1st quarter. Wealthfront Advisers LLC now owns 22,903 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $15,625,000 after purchasing an additional 1,211 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.40% of the company's stock.

More Northrop Grumman News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary continue to highlight Northrop Grumman’s strong defense backlog and long-term demand outlook, which supports revenue visibility and could help offset near-term volatility. Northrop Grumman to Post Q2 Earnings: Here's What to Expect
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley reportedly named Northrop Grumman one of its top defense stocks, reinforcing the view that the company remains a favored name in the sector. Morgan Stanley Picks Its Top Three Defense Stocks. One Has 100% Upside.
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple preview pieces are focusing on key Q2 operating metrics, suggesting the stock may react to details on execution, cash flow, and contract performance rather than just headline EPS and revenue. Wall Street's Insights Into Key Metrics Ahead of Northrop Grumman (NOC) Q2 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Northrop’s Sentinel program remains a key watch item, with investors waiting to see whether job expansion and program updates point to stronger execution or added cost pressure. Northrop Grumman Planning To Add Hundreds Of Jobs For Sentinel
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts have trimmed price targets and lowered fair value estimates, signaling more caution about near-term upside and execution risk. Northrop Grumman (NOC) Stock Fair Value Edges Lower As Analysts Trim Targets

Northrop Grumman Stock Down 1.3%

NOC stock opened at $518.19 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $538.60 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $624.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $73.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.22, a PEG ratio of 3.55 and a beta of -0.10. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a one year low of $493.84 and a one year high of $774.00.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The aerospace company reported $6.14 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $6.06 by $0.08. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 24.72% and a net margin of 10.80%.The company had revenue of $9.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.75 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $6.06 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2026 guidance at 27.400-27.900 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 27.95 EPS for the current year.

Northrop Grumman Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 1st were paid a $2.47 dividend. This represents a $9.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 1st. This is a positive change from Northrop Grumman's previous quarterly dividend of $2.31. Northrop Grumman's dividend payout ratio is 30.92%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently issued reports on NOC shares. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on Northrop Grumman from $620.00 to $580.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, June 26th. UBS Group lowered their target price on Northrop Grumman from $806.00 to $745.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. Raymond James Financial reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Monday, June 15th. TD Cowen cut their price target on Northrop Grumman from $680.00 to $580.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Monday. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $745.00 price objective on Northrop Grumman in a research report on Wednesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $676.29.

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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