Mawer Investment Management Ltd. Has $482.47 Million Position in Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC

Key Points

• Mawer Investment Management trimmed its Northrop Grumman stake by 12.3% in the fourth quarter, but still held 846,131 shares valued at about $482.47 million, making NOC its 11th-largest holding.
• Northrop Grumman shares were down 4.4% to $538.94, while the company reported better-than-expected Q1 earnings of $6.14 per share on revenue of $9.88 billion and reiterated FY 2026 EPS guidance of 27.4 to 27.9.
• The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $2.47 per share, and analysts remain generally constructive with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $702.63.

Mawer Investment Management Ltd. reduced its holdings in Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC - Free Report) by 12.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 846,131 shares of the aerospace company's stock after selling 118,657 shares during the quarter. Northrop Grumman comprises 2.7% of Mawer Investment Management Ltd.'s portfolio, making the stock its 11th biggest holding. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. owned approximately 0.60% of Northrop Grumman worth $482,472,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in NOC. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position 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. Nkcfo LLC acquired a new stake in Northrop Grumman during the third quarter worth about $2,986,000. New York State Teachers Retirement System grew its position in Northrop Grumman by 9.7% during the fourth quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System now owns 111,927 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $63,822,000 after buying an additional 9,924 shares in the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB acquired a new stake in Northrop Grumman during the fourth quarter worth about $1,987,000. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its position in Northrop Grumman by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 158,958 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $90,639,000 after buying an additional 2,025 shares in the last quarter. 83.40% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Northrop Grumman Stock Down 4.4%

Shares of NOC opened at $538.94 on Tuesday. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a 12 month low of $472.02 and a 12 month high of $774.00. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $615.77 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $632.15. 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 stock has a market cap of $76.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.87, a P/E/G ratio of 3.84 and a beta of -0.12.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The aerospace company reported $6.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $6.06 by $0.08. Northrop Grumman had a net margin of 10.80% and a return on equity of 24.72%. The company had revenue of $9.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $9.75 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $6.06 earnings per share. Northrop Grumman'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. Equities analysts predict that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 27.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Northrop Grumman Increases Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on Northrop Grumman from $765.00 to $745.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Citigroup cut their price target on shares of Northrop Grumman from $742.00 to $628.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, May 18th. UBS Group cut their price target on shares of Northrop Grumman from $806.00 to $745.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. They set an "overweight" rating and a $800.00 price target for the company. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on shares of Northrop Grumman from $660.00 to $620.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $702.63.

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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