Danske Bank A S Purchases 9,324 Shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC

Key Points

• Danske Bank A/S increased its stake in Northrop Grumman by 27.4% in Q4, buying 9,324 shares to hold 43,367 shares valued at about $24.728 million.
• Equity analysts are broadly positive with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $710.74, with some firms setting targets up to $800.
• Northrop Grumman beat Q1 estimates (EPS $6.14 vs. $6.06 consensus; revenue $9.88B), cites a roughly $95.6B backlog and has FY2026 EPS guidance of 27.40–27.90, supporting medium‑term revenue visibility.

Danske Bank A S raised its position in shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC - Free Report) by 27.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 43,367 shares of the aerospace company's stock after acquiring an additional 9,324 shares during the period. Danske Bank A S's holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $24,728,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Northrop Grumman in the fourth quarter valued at about $123,000. Sigma Planning Corp lifted its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Sigma Planning Corp now owns 6,205 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $3,538,000 after buying an additional 135 shares during the period. New York State Teachers Retirement System lifted its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman by 9.7% in the fourth quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System now owns 111,927 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $63,822,000 after buying an additional 9,924 shares during the period. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Northrop Grumman in the fourth quarter valued at about $208,000. Finally, WoodTrust Financial Corp lifted its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. WoodTrust Financial Corp now owns 12,772 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $7,283,000 after buying an additional 186 shares during the period. 83.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Susquehanna reiterated a "positive" rating and issued a $752.00 target price on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $800.00 target price for the company. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their target price on shares of Northrop Grumman from $715.00 to $750.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $765.00 target price on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $660.00 target price on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Sunday, April 26th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $710.74.

Northrop Grumman News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong backlog and defense demand underpin revenue visibility — NOC sits on a reported ~$95.6B backlog, which supports medium‑term revenue and helps explain positive analyst commentary on organic demand.Northrop Grumman Gains From Strong Backlog and Rising Defense Demand
• Positive Sentiment: Supplier recognition signals supply‑chain strength — Northrop’s Supplier Excellence Awards (Permag highlighted) point to stable supplier relationships and execution on programs, lowering operational risk for program delivery.Permag Recognized by Northrop Grumman
• Positive Sentiment: Potential new market tailwinds — coverage noting Meta’s interest in space-based solar power highlights an emerging commercial opportunity where Northrop’s aerospace capabilities could participate, supporting longer-term upside potential.Meta Platforms Is Betting on Space-Based Solar Power
• Neutral Sentiment: Localized layoffs appear situational, not company-wide — reports on layoffs in the Baltimore region say they reflect shifting program demand in Mission Systems rather than broad cost cutting, which limits the negative earnings implication for investors.Northrop Grumman layoffs in Baltimore seen as limited by analysts
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector peer results mixed but generally supportive — recent beats from peers (L3Harris, Textron) provide a modest sector tailwind that could buoy sentiment for defense names, though not a direct catalyst for NOC’s near-term move.Got $5,000? 1 Defense Contractor Set to Be a Long‑Term Compounder Textron Q1 Earnings Surpass Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Relative underperformance and near-term risks weighing — NOC has underperformed peers on some trading days and analysts flag labor shortages and rising compliance costs as potential near-term headwinds to margins and execution.Northrop Grumman Corp. stock underperforms Zacks: labor and compliance risks

Northrop Grumman Stock Performance

NYSE:NOC opened at $568.53 on Friday. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a 12-month low of $453.01 and a 12-month high of $774.00. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84. The firm has a market capitalization of $80.75 billion, a PE ratio of 17.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.05 and a beta of -0.11. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $688.29 and a 200 day moving average price of $636.90.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The aerospace company reported $6.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.06 by $0.08. Northrop Grumman had a net margin of 10.80% and a return on equity of 24.72%. The firm had revenue of $9.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.75 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $6.06 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue 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. Research analysts anticipate that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 27.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Northrop Grumman Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 11th. Investors of record on Monday, February 23rd were given a $2.31 dividend. This represents a $9.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 23rd. Northrop Grumman's dividend payout ratio is 28.92%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Northrop Grumman

In related news, CEO Kathy J. Warden sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $708.82, for a total value of $14,176,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 171,602 shares of the company's stock, valued at $121,634,929.64. This represents a 10.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Benjamin R. Davies sold 2,189 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $719.61, for a total transaction of $1,575,226.29. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 151 shares of the company's stock, valued at $108,661.11. This trade represents a 93.55% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 22,431 shares of company stock worth $15,924,404. 0.21% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.