Hantz Financial Services Inc. Sells 2,376 Shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC

Key Points

• Hantz Financial Services reduced its Northrop Grumman stake by 18.2% in the fourth quarter, selling 2,376 shares and ending with 10,660 shares valued at about $6.08 million.
• Several other institutional investors also adjusted their holdings, and 83.40% of Northrop Grumman stock is owned by institutions, underscoring strong professional ownership.
• Analysts remain generally positive despite some price-target cuts, with Northrop Grumman carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus and a consensus target price of $704.74; the company also recently beat quarterly EPS and revenue estimates and raised its dividend to $2.47 per share.

Hantz Financial Services Inc. trimmed its position in Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC - Free Report) by 18.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 10,660 shares of the aerospace company's stock after selling 2,376 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc.'s holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $6,078,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Prospera Financial Services Inc grew its position in Northrop Grumman by 3.2% in the 4th quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc now owns 9,811 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $5,597,000 after purchasing an additional 302 shares in the last quarter. Life Cycle Investment Partners Ltd bought a new stake in Northrop Grumman in the 4th quarter worth about $47,097,000. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. grew its position in Northrop Grumman by 15.2% in the 4th quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. now owns 4,147 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $2,365,000 after purchasing an additional 546 shares in the last quarter. Associated Banc Corp grew its position in Northrop Grumman by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Associated Banc Corp now owns 39,990 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $22,803,000 after purchasing an additional 371 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Advisory Alpha LLC grew its position in Northrop Grumman by 7.5% in the 4th quarter. Advisory Alpha LLC now owns 876 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $500,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. 83.40% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on NOC. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of Northrop Grumman from $765.00 to $745.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of Northrop Grumman from $742.00 to $628.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 18th. UBS Group reduced their target price on shares of Northrop Grumman from $806.00 to $745.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. TD Cowen reissued a "hold" rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Argus set a $785.00 target price on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Northrop Grumman has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $704.74.

Northrop Grumman Stock Performance

Shares of NOC stock opened at $556.01 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $78.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.40, a PEG ratio of 3.79 and a beta of -0.11. The company has a current ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84. The firm's 50 day moving average is $633.00 and its 200 day moving average is $632.65. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a 12 month low of $468.29 and a 12 month high of $774.00.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The aerospace company reported $6.14 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $6.06 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $9.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $9.75 billion. Northrop Grumman had a net margin of 10.80% and a return on equity of 24.72%. Northrop Grumman's revenue was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $6.06 EPS. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2026 guidance at 27.400-27.900 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 27.93 earnings per share for the current year.

Northrop Grumman Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 17th. Investors of record on Monday, June 1st will be paid a dividend of $2.47 per share. This represents a $9.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 1st. This is an increase from Northrop Grumman's previous quarterly dividend of $2.31. Northrop Grumman's dividend payout ratio is currently 28.92%.

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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