Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC Shares Sold by Delta Global Management LP

Key Points

• Delta Global Management LP cut its Northrop Grumman stake by 55.7% in the first quarter, selling 2,383 shares and retaining 1,893 shares valued at approximately $1.29 million. Institutional investors collectively own 83.4% of the company.
• Northrop Grumman’s latest quarterly results beat expectations, with EPS of $7.68 versus the $6.82 consensus and revenue of $10.88 billion. The company also raised its full-year outlook, supported by contract wins and a record backlog.
• Analyst sentiment remains generally positive but price targets have been reduced by several firms; MarketBeat lists a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average target of $655.24. The company also increased its quarterly dividend to $2.47 per share, yielding about 1.8% annually.

Delta Global Management LP lessened its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC - Free Report) by 55.7% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,893 shares of the aerospace company's stock after selling 2,383 shares during the quarter. Delta Global Management LP's holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $1,291,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA lifted its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 7.0% in the 1st quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 61,436 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $41,914,000 after buying an additional 4,041 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 209,135 shares during the last quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System increased its position in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 9,924 shares during the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB acquired a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman in the fourth quarter worth about $1,987,000. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,149,478 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $1,793,478,000 after purchasing an additional 17,948 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.40% of the company's stock.

Northrop Grumman News Summary

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on NOC shares. Wells Fargo & Company restated an "overweight" rating and set a $620.00 price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their target price on Northrop Grumman from $603.00 to $533.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Northrop Grumman from $628.00 to $587.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Susquehanna dropped their price target on shares of Northrop Grumman from $785.00 to $655.00 and set a "positive" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Northrop Grumman from $635.00 to $600.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $655.24.

Northrop Grumman Stock Performance

Shares of NOC stock opened at $542.09 on Monday. 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 business has a 50 day moving average of $535.81 and a two-hundred day moving average of $622.17. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a 52 week low of $479.02 and a 52 week high of $774.00. The company has a market cap of $76.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.22, a PEG ratio of 3.51 and a beta of -0.10.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly 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 business had revenue of $10.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.80 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $8.15 earnings per share. The company'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. As a group, analysts anticipate that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 28.98 EPS for the current year.

Northrop Grumman Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 17th. Investors of record on Monday, June 1st were paid a dividend of $2.47 per share. This is a boost from Northrop Grumman's previous quarterly dividend of $2.31. This represents a $9.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 1st. Northrop Grumman's dividend payout ratio (DPR) 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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