Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH increased its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC - Free Report) by 24.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 36,574 shares of the aerospace company's stock after buying an additional 7,240 shares during the quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH's holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $20,758,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Financial Life Planners purchased a new stake in Northrop Grumman in the third quarter valued at $27,000. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 200.0% in the third quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 48 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares during the last quarter. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. purchased a new stake in Northrop Grumman in the third quarter valued at $30,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp purchased a new stake in Northrop Grumman in the third quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Wexford Capital LP purchased a new stake in Northrop Grumman in the third quarter valued at $33,000. 83.40% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Northrop Grumman Stock Performance
Northrop Grumman stock opened at $575.57 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $699.43 and a 200-day simple moving average of $638.25. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a 1-year low of $453.01 and a 1-year high of $774.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 1.15 and a quick ratio of 1.01. The stock has a market cap of $81.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.19 and a beta of 0.04.
Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The aerospace company reported $6.14 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.06 by $0.08. Northrop Grumman had a net margin of 10.80% and a return on equity of 24.72%. The business had revenue of $9.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $9.75 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $6.06 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2026 guidance at 27.400-27.900 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 27.9 EPS for the current year.
Northrop Grumman Announces Dividend
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 11th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 23rd were paid a $2.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 23rd. This represents a $9.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. Northrop Grumman's dividend payout ratio is 28.92%.
Insider Activity
In related news, CEO Kathy J. Warden sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $708.82, for a total transaction of $14,176,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 171,602 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $121,634,929.64. This trade represents a 10.44% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Mark A. Welsh III sold 95 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $684.52, for a total transaction of $65,029.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 4,203 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,877,037.56. This represents a 2.21% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 22,431 shares of company stock worth $15,924,404. Corporate insiders own 0.21% of the company's stock.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
NOC has been the topic of several recent research reports. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a "market perform" rating and issued a $727.00 price target on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Monday, January 12th. Bank of America upped their price target on shares of Northrop Grumman from $685.00 to $750.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Northrop Grumman from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $765.00 price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman from $690.00 to $710.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $713.37.
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on NOC
Key Northrop Grumman News
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
Northrop Grumman Profile
(
Free Report)
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.
Read More
This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.
Before you consider Northrop Grumman, you'll want to hear this.
MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Northrop Grumman wasn't on the list.
While Northrop Grumman currently has a Moderate Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.
View The Five Stocks Here
Enter your email address and we’ll send you MarketBeat’s list of ten stocks set to soar in Spring 2026, despite the threat of tariffs and other economic uncertainty. These ten stocks are incredibly resilient and are likely to thrive in any economic environment.
Get This Free Report
