Clough Capital Partners L P Sells 3,486 Shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC

Key Points

• Clough Capital Partners cut its Northrop Grumman stake by 22.8%, selling 3,486 shares and retaining 11,830 shares valued at approximately $8.1 million. Institutional investors collectively own 83.4% of the company.
• Northrop Grumman beat quarterly earnings expectations with $7.68 in EPS and $10.88 billion in revenue, while revenue increased 5.1% year over year. The company issued fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $28.60–$29.10.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $2.47 per share, equivalent to a 1.8% annual yield. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus, with an average price target of $655.24 versus the reported share price of $542.09.

Clough Capital Partners L P lessened its holdings in shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC - Free Report) by 22.8% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 11,830 shares of the aerospace company's stock after selling 3,486 shares during the period. Clough Capital Partners L P's holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $8,071,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Capital World Investors lifted its holdings in shares of Northrop Grumman by 39.4% during the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 3,434,041 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $1,958,151,000 after buying an additional 970,029 shares during the last quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP increased its position in Northrop Grumman by 56,920.9% during the fourth quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP now owns 421,955 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $240,603,000 after acquiring an additional 421,215 shares during the period. Jennison Associates LLC increased its position in Northrop Grumman by 272.8% during the fourth quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 401,664 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $229,033,000 after acquiring an additional 293,909 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Northrop Grumman by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 13,740,721 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $7,835,097,000 after purchasing an additional 209,135 shares during the last quarter. Finally, M&T Bank Corp boosted its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 1,086.5% in the 4th quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 192,583 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $109,813,000 after purchasing an additional 176,352 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 83.40% of the company's stock.

Northrop Grumman Price Performance

NYSE:NOC opened at $542.09 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.17. The company has a 50-day moving average of $535.81 and a 200-day moving average of $622.17. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a 52 week low of $479.02 and a 52 week high of $774.00. The company has a market capitalization of $76.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.22, a PEG ratio of 3.51 and a beta of -0.10.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The aerospace company reported $7.68 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $6.82 by $0.86. Northrop Grumman had a net margin of 10.48% and a return on equity of 24.25%. The business had revenue of $10.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $10.80 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $8.15 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.600-29.100 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 28.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Northrop Grumman Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 1st were paid a $2.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 1st. This represents a $9.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.8%. This is an increase from Northrop Grumman's previous quarterly dividend of $2.31. Northrop Grumman's dividend payout ratio is currently 31.39%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $620.00 price target on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman from $620.00 to $580.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Northrop Grumman from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, April 25th. UBS Group lifted their target price on Northrop Grumman from $666.00 to $685.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $615.00 price target on Northrop Grumman in a research note on Wednesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $655.24.

Key Headlines Impacting Northrop Grumman

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

• Positive Sentiment: Northrop Grumman’s Q2 earnings beat expectations, and the company lifted its full-year sales guidance while highlighting strong contract wins and a record backlog, reinforcing the investment case for the stock. Is Northrop Grumman (NOC) Undervalued As Earnings Beat And Guidance Rise?
• Positive Sentiment: Broader defense sector strength is helping sentiment, with defense ETFs benefiting from higher military spending, solid quarterly results across peers, and rising geopolitical tensions that could support future demand. Defense ETFs in Focus Amid Earnings, Conflict and Military Spending
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles and analyst notes say Northrop Grumman may still be undervalued or better positioned than other industrial names, which supports investor interest after the earnings report. How Much Could a $5,000 Investment in SpaceX Be Worth By 2030? Here's Why This Industrial Stock May Be a Better Buy Today.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain mixed, with UBS reportedly sticking to a Buy rating while TD Cowen and JPMorgan lowered price targets, suggesting expectations are still being recalibrated after earnings.
• Neutral Sentiment: Northrop Grumman also drew attention for its new robotic satellite servicing vehicle and mission extension pods, which may support long-term space systems growth but are not an immediate earnings driver. Northrop Grumman’s Mission Robotic Vehicle Launched Into Space; Operations Begin In 2027

Northrop Grumman Company Profile

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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