Sanctuary Advisors LLC Decreases Stake in Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC

Key Points

• Sanctuary Advisors LLC trimmed its stake in Northrop Grumman by 5.0%, selling 2,088 shares and leaving it with 39,957 shares worth about $22.78 million.
• Northrop Grumman reported a modest Q1 beat (EPS $6.14 vs. $6.06; revenue $9.88B) and set FY‑2026 guidance of 27.4–27.9 EPS, but the stock is under pressure from concerns about a faster B‑21 ramp and negative technicals.
• Analysts remain largely positive with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target of about $710.74, though several firms have trimmed targets or issued Hold ratings, signaling mixed near‑term sentiment.

Sanctuary Advisors LLC lowered its position in Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC - Free Report) by 5.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 39,957 shares of the aerospace company's stock after selling 2,088 shares during the quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC's holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $22,784,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Focused Investors LLC increased its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 4.1% in the 3rd quarter. Focused Investors LLC now owns 211,800 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $129,054,000 after acquiring an additional 8,300 shares during the last quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 74.5% in the 3rd quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 11,060 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $6,739,000 after acquiring an additional 4,721 shares during the last quarter. Huntleigh Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Northrop Grumman in the 3rd quarter worth about $2,818,000. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. increased its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 4.1% in the 3rd quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. now owns 81,747 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $49,810,000 after acquiring an additional 3,215 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 13.4% in the 3rd quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 22,318 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $13,599,000 after acquiring an additional 2,644 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: Multiple brokerages reaffirm bullish views — Morgan Stanley and Susquehanna kept buy ratings, and BTIG also reiterated a Buy, supporting a longer-term constructive view on NOC. Morgan Stanley Sticks to Its Buy Rating for Northrop Grumman (NOC) Susquehanna Remains a Buy on Northrop Grumman (NOC) BTIG Research Reaffirms "Buy" Rating for Northrop Grumman NYSE: NOC
• Positive Sentiment: Independent bullish research: Seeking Alpha upgraded NOC to a Strong Buy after the recent pullback, arguing the company’s exposure to the nuclear triad and defense backlog makes it attractive on dips. Northrop Grumman: The Nuclear Triad Winner Is Now A Strong Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Citi’s analyst also flagged the selloff as overdone and said defense stocks can survive a Democratic midterm outcome, framing the pullback as a buy-the-dip opportunity for long-term investors. Defense Stocks Can Survive Big Win by Democrats in Midterms, Says Citi
• Neutral Sentiment: Q1 results were a modest beat on EPS and revenue, and management kept FY‑2026 guidance largely unchanged — the report confirmed execution but didn’t raise upside expectations, leaving near-term sentiment mixed. Northrop Grumman's shares slip as outlook matches estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Sector-wide selloff and investor risk-off on defense exposure have pressured NOC: Citi highlighted that major defense names have dropped significantly since recent geopolitical events, contributing to the pullback. Defense Stocks Selloff Deepens. The Sector Can Survive a ‘Blue Wave.’
• Negative Sentiment: Citigroup trimmed Northrop’s price target from $807 to $742 — still a Buy, but the cut signals reduced near-term upside expectations and may weigh on sentiment. Citigroup Lowers Price Target
• Negative Sentiment: Jefferies moved to a Hold, adding to mixed analyst signals. Northrop Grumman (NOC) Receives a Hold from Jefferies
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction to the Q1 beat included concern about a faster-than-expected B-21 ramp and near-term ramp-related costs/inefficiencies, which investors view as margin pressure during the scale-up. Why Northrop Grumman (NOC) Is Down After Q1 Beat And Faster B-21 Ramp News
• Negative Sentiment: Technicals: the stock is trading below its 50- and 200-day moving averages and volume is below average — factors that tend to amplify downward pressure until momentum stabilizes. Market technicals for NOC

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently weighed in on NOC. BTIG Research reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $815.00 price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Bank of America raised their target price on Northrop Grumman from $685.00 to $750.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on Northrop Grumman in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $800.00 target price for the company. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Northrop Grumman from $765.00 to $745.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Monday, March 23rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Northrop Grumman presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $710.74.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP Benjamin R. Davies sold 2,189 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $719.61, for a total value of $1,575,226.29. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 151 shares in the company, valued at $108,661.11. The trade was a 93.55% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Mark A. Welsh III sold 95 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $684.52, for a total value of $65,029.40. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 4,203 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,877,037.56. The trade was a 2.21% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 22,431 shares of company stock worth $15,924,404. Insiders own 0.21% of the company's stock.

Northrop Grumman Stock Performance

Shares of NOC opened at $575.57 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $81.75 billion, a PE ratio of 18.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.10 and a beta of 0.04. The company has a current ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $699.43 and a 200-day moving average price of $638.36. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a 12-month low of $453.01 and a 12-month high of $774.00.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly 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. The firm had revenue of $9.88 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.75 billion. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 24.72% and a net margin of 10.80%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $6.06 EPS. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2026 guidance at 27.400-27.900 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 27.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Northrop Grumman Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 11th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 23rd were given a dividend of $2.31 per share. This represents a $9.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 23rd. Northrop Grumman's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.92%.

Northrop Grumman Company 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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