Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC - Free Report) by 1.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 13,740,721 shares of the aerospace company's stock after purchasing an additional 209,135 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned about 9.63% of Northrop Grumman worth $7,835,097,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman by 40.5% in the 4th quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 3,401 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $1,939,000 after purchasing an additional 981 shares during the last quarter. Calamos Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Northrop Grumman by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. Calamos Wealth Management LLC now owns 598 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $341,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 523.3% during the 4th quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 268 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $153,000 after purchasing an additional 225 shares in the last quarter. Diversified Enterprises LLC grew its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 126.2% during the fourth quarter. Diversified Enterprises LLC now owns 1,097 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $626,000 after buying an additional 612 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quent Long Short Global Small Cap Fund LP bought a new stake in shares of Northrop Grumman in the 4th quarter worth $374,000. 83.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. TD Cowen restated a "hold" rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on Northrop Grumman from $715.00 to $750.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a "market perform" rating and issued a $727.00 price target on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "buy" rating and issued a $765.00 target price on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their target price on Northrop Grumman from $806.00 to $745.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday. Two 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 company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Northrop Grumman presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $710.74.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on NOC
Northrop Grumman Price Performance
Shares of NYSE:NOC opened at $575.57 on Monday. The company's fifty day moving average price is $699.43 and its 200-day moving average price is $638.36. The firm has a market capitalization of $81.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.01, a PEG ratio of 4.10 and a beta of 0.04. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a one year low of $453.01 and a one 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 1.04.
Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 21st. The aerospace company reported $6.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $6.06 by $0.08. Northrop Grumman had a net margin of 10.80% and a return on equity of 24.72%. The company had revenue of $9.88 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.75 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $6.06 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2026 guidance at 27.400-27.900 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 27.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Northrop Grumman Announces Dividend
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 11th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 23rd were paid a dividend of $2.31 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 23rd. This represents a $9.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. Northrop Grumman's payout ratio is 28.92%.
Trending Headlines about Northrop Grumman
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
Insider Transactions at Northrop Grumman
In other news, Director Mark A. Welsh III sold 95 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the director directly owned 4,203 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,877,037.56. This represents a 2.21% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CAO Michael A. Hardesty sold 147 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $732.98, for a total transaction of $107,748.06. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 2,525 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,850,774.50. The trade was a 5.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 22,431 shares of company stock valued at $15,924,404 over the last quarter. 0.21% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
Northrop Grumman Company 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.
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