AlphaQuest LLC Trims Stake in Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC

Key Points

• AlphaQuest LLC reduced its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 98.1%, owning just 72 shares worth $37,000 after selling 3,702 shares in the 1st quarter.
• Institutional investors collectively own 83.40% of Northrop Grumman's stock, with several firms increasing their stakes in the company during the same period.
• Northrop Grumman recently declared a quarterly dividend of $2.31 per share, translating to an annual dividend of $9.24 and a yield of 1.6%.

AlphaQuest LLC reduced its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC - Free Report) by 98.1% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 72 shares of the aerospace company's stock after selling 3,702 shares during the quarter. AlphaQuest LLC's holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $37,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in NOC. IMA Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in Northrop Grumman during the first quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise bought a new stake in Northrop Grumman in the first quarter worth $30,000. Wood Tarver Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Northrop Grumman during the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. Hollencrest Capital Management lifted its position in Northrop Grumman by 790.0% during the first quarter. Hollencrest Capital Management now owns 89 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. Finally, HWG Holdings LP purchased a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman in the 1st quarter worth $46,000. 83.40% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Northrop Grumman Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of Northrop Grumman stock traded up $0.80 during trading on Friday, hitting $580.56. 633,404 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 604,892. The firm has a market cap of $83.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.56 and a beta of 0.13. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a 52-week low of $426.24 and a 52-week high of $600.99. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $559.81 and its 200 day simple moving average is $513.73.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 22nd. The aerospace company reported $7.11 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.84 by $0.27. The firm had revenue of $10.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.15 billion. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 25.52% and a net margin of 9.74%.The business's revenue for the quarter was up 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $6.36 earnings per share. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2025 guidance at 25.000-25.400 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 28.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Northrop Grumman Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 17th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 2nd will be paid a dividend of $2.31 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 2nd. This represents a $9.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. Northrop Grumman's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 34.06%.

Insider Activity

In other Northrop Grumman news, CEO Kathy J. Warden sold 7,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $505.77, for a total value of $3,793,275.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 201,602 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $101,964,243.54. This trade represents a 3.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Robert J. Fleming sold 3,500 shares of Northrop Grumman stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $505.77, for a total value of $1,770,195.00. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 1,827 shares of the company's stock, valued at $924,041.79. This trade represents a 65.70% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 15,512 shares of company stock worth $7,805,146. Company insiders own 0.23% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on NOC. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Northrop Grumman from $480.00 to $585.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company restated an "overweight" rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "hold" rating and issued a $542.00 price target (down from $580.00) on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Tuesday, July 8th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a "market perform" rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Monday, July 14th. Finally, Bank of America raised their price target on Northrop Grumman from $550.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 23rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $588.85.

Northrop Grumman Profile

Northrop Grumman Corporation operates as an aerospace and defense technology company in the United States, Asia/Pacific, Europe, and internationally. The company's Aeronautics Systems segment designs, develops, manufactures, integrates, and sustains aircraft systems. This segment also offers unmanned autonomous aircraft systems, including high-altitude long-endurance strategic ISR systems and vertical take-off and landing tactical ISR systems; and strategic long-range strike aircraft, tactical fighter and air dominance aircraft, and airborne battle management and command and control systems.