Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC Shares Purchased by Emerald Investment Advisers LLC

Key Points

• Emerald Investment Advisers increased its Northrop Grumman stake by 88.9% in the second quarter, owning 4,039 shares valued at approximately $2.06 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 83.4% of NOC.
• Northrop Grumman reported quarterly EPS of $7.68, beating estimates of $6.82, while revenue rose 5.1% year over year to $10.88 billion. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $661.30.
• NOC shares opened at $552.29, down 2.1%, and remain well below their 52-week high of $774. The company declared a quarterly dividend of $2.47, equivalent to an annualized $9.88 payout and a 1.8% yield.

Emerald Investment Advisers LLC raised its holdings in shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC - Free Report) by 88.9% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 4,039 shares of the aerospace company's stock after purchasing an additional 1,901 shares during the period. Emerald Investment Advisers LLC's holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $2,057,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the business. Westpac Banking Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Northrop Grumman by 8.4% in the 2nd quarter. Westpac Banking Corp now owns 415 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $211,000 after buying an additional 32 shares during the period. TRB Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Northrop Grumman by 14.5% during the 2nd quarter. TRB Wealth Management LLC now owns 395 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $201,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Korea Investment CORP raised its stake in Northrop Grumman by 45.5% during the second quarter. Korea Investment CORP now owns 110,142 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $56,096,000 after acquiring an additional 34,426 shares during the period. EP Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Northrop Grumman by 1.0% during the second quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 22,630 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $11,526,000 after acquiring an additional 224 shares during the period. Finally, Rakuten Securities Inc. lifted its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 89.2% in the second quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 70 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. 83.40% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at Northrop Grumman

In related news, Director Mark A. Welsh III sold 95 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $547.53, for a total value of $52,015.35. Following the sale, the director directly owned 4,393 shares in the company, valued at $2,405,299.29. This trade represents a 2.12% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.21% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently commented on NOC. Wall Street Zen lowered Northrop Grumman from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, April 25th. Robert W. Baird set a $500.00 price target on Northrop Grumman in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a "market perform" rating and issued a $653.00 price target on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price objective on Northrop Grumman from $620.00 to $580.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Northrop Grumman from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Northrop Grumman presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $661.30.

Northrop Grumman Trading Down 2.1%

Shares of NYSE:NOC opened at $552.29 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81. The company's 50-day moving average price is $541.45 and its 200 day moving average price is $610.05. The company has a market cap of $78.44 billion, a PE ratio of 17.54, a P/E/G ratio of 3.57 and a beta of -0.11. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $479.02 and a fifty-two week high of $774.00.

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. Northrop Grumman had a net margin of 10.48% and a return on equity of 24.25%. The firm had revenue of $10.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $10.80 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $8.15 EPS. Northrop Grumman's quarterly revenue 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 28.97 earnings per share for the current year.

Northrop Grumman Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Investors of record on Monday, August 31st will be issued a $2.47 dividend. This represents a $9.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 31st. Northrop Grumman's dividend payout ratio is 31.39%.

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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