London Co. of Virginia Sells 26,504 Shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC

Key Points

• London Co. of Virginia trimmed its Northrop Grumman stake by 6.9% in the first quarter, selling 26,504 shares and leaving it with 356,554 shares worth about $243.3 million.
• Northrop Grumman’s Q2 earnings beat expectations, with EPS of $7.68 versus $6.82 estimated, and revenue rose 5.1% year over year to $10.88 billion. The company also raised its full-year sales guidance and set FY 2026 EPS guidance at 28.6 to 29.1.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: several firms cut price targets, but the consensus rating is still “Moderate Buy” with an average target of $655.24. The company also increased its quarterly dividend to $2.47 per share, up from $2.31.

London Co. of Virginia reduced its position in Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC - Free Report) by 6.9% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 356,554 shares of the aerospace company's stock after selling 26,504 shares during the quarter. Northrop Grumman makes up about 1.5% of London Co. of Virginia's portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest position. London Co. of Virginia owned 0.25% of Northrop Grumman worth $243,276,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA lifted its holdings in shares of Northrop Grumman by 7.0% in the first quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 61,436 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $41,914,000 after purchasing an additional 4,041 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 1.5% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 13,740,721 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $7,835,097,000 after buying an additional 209,135 shares in the last quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System raised its position in Northrop Grumman by 9.7% in the 4th 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 last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB purchased a new stake in Northrop Grumman in the 4th quarter valued at $1,987,000. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Northrop Grumman by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,149,478 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $1,793,478,000 after acquiring an additional 17,948 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.40% of the company's stock.

Northrop Grumman News Roundup

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have issued reports on NOC. Susquehanna cut their price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman from $785.00 to $655.00 and set a "positive" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on shares of Northrop Grumman from $620.00 to $580.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Friday, June 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price target on shares of Northrop Grumman from $603.00 to $533.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Northrop Grumman from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, April 25th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $620.00 price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $655.24.

Northrop Grumman Trading Up 1.6%

Shares of NOC stock opened at $542.09 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81. The firm has a market cap of $76.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.22, a PEG ratio of 3.52 and a beta of -0.10. The company has a 50 day moving average of $535.81 and a 200-day moving average of $622.09. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a 12-month low of $479.02 and a 12-month high of $774.00.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 21st. The aerospace company reported $7.68 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.82 by $0.86. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 24.25% and a net margin of 10.48%.The business had revenue of $10.88 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.80 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $8.15 earnings per share. Northrop Grumman'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. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 28.98 earnings per share for the current year.

Northrop Grumman Increases Dividend

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

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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