First Trust Advisors LP Has $345.20 Million Stock Position in Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC

Key Points

• First Trust Advisors LP trimmed its Northrop Grumman stake by 3.4% in the first quarter, but still held 505,987 shares valued at about $345.2 million at the end of the period.
• Northrop Grumman reported a strong second quarter, with EPS of $7.68 and revenue of $10.88 billion, both ahead of analyst expectations.
• The company raised its full-year 2026 guidance and said backlog reached a record roughly $105 billion, though the stock still fell as investors focused on valuation and margin concerns.

First Trust Advisors LP lowered its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC - Free Report) by 3.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 505,987 shares of the aerospace company's stock after selling 17,838 shares during the quarter. First Trust Advisors LP owned about 0.36% of Northrop Grumman worth $345,205,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Torren Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman during the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Karpus Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Northrop Grumman during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in Northrop Grumman during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in Northrop Grumman during the first quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Motiv8 Investments LLC acquired a new position in Northrop Grumman in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. 83.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Northrop Grumman

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

• Positive Sentiment: Northrop Grumman beat Q2 expectations, reporting $7.68 in EPS versus $6.84 expected and revenue of $10.88 billion versus $10.80 billion expected. Northrop Grumman beats Q2 estimates, raises guidance
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its full-year 2026 outlook, with EPS guidance now at $28.60 to $29.10 and revenue guidance of $43.8 billion to $44.3 billion, signaling management confidence in demand and execution. Northrop Grumman raises 2026 forecasts on strong weapons demand
• Positive Sentiment: Backlog hit a record roughly $105 billion, reflecting very strong order activity across key defense programs and giving investors long-term revenue visibility. Northrop Grumman Lifts Outlook as Second-Quarter Orders Boost Backlog to Record High
• Neutral Sentiment: Management and coverage around the call emphasized strong demand, but also noted margin pressure in some segments, which may be limiting enthusiasm despite the earnings beat. Northrop Grumman Corp (NOC) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Highlights: Record Backlog and Raised ...
• Negative Sentiment: Shares are being sold off anyway, suggesting the market is prioritizing valuation, margin concerns, and broader defense-sector rotation over the otherwise strong quarter. Northrop Reports Q2 Double Beat, Record Backlog — Stock Falls Anyway

Northrop Grumman Trading Down 2.9%

NOC stock opened at $508.84 on Wednesday. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a 1-year low of $479.02 and a 1-year high of $774.00. The firm has a market cap of $72.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.93, a P/E/G ratio of 3.54 and a beta of -0.10. The business's 50 day moving average is $536.62 and its 200-day moving average is $623.35. The company has a current ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The aerospace company reported $7.68 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.82 by $0.86. The business had revenue of $10.88 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.80 billion. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 24.72% and a net margin of 10.80%.Northrop Grumman's revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $8.15 EPS. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.600-29.100 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 27.96 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. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 1st were paid a dividend of $2.47 per share. This is an increase from Northrop Grumman's previous quarterly dividend of $2.31. This represents a $9.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 1st. Northrop Grumman's dividend payout ratio is currently 30.92%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have commented on NOC shares. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price objective on Northrop Grumman from $603.00 to $533.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Raymond James Financial restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Monday, June 15th. BTIG Research reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $815.00 target price on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Northrop Grumman from $628.00 to $587.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Northrop Grumman from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, April 25th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $676.29.

Northrop Grumman 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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