Western Wealth Management LLC Lowers Position in Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC

Key Points

• Western Wealth Management cut its Northrop Grumman position by 40.8% in the second quarter, while institutional investors overall owned 83.4% of the company’s stock. A director also sold 95 shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan.
• Northrop Grumman’s shares opened at $542.70, well below their 12-month high of $774.00. The company nevertheless exceeded quarterly EPS expectations, reporting $7.68 versus the $6.82 consensus, while revenue rose 5.1% year over year to $10.88 billion.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $661.30. Potential participation in the proposed $1 trillion Golden Dome missile-defense program could support long-term growth, though no contract has been awarded.

Western Wealth Management LLC trimmed its position in shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC - Free Report) by 40.8% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,769 shares of the aerospace company's stock after selling 1,906 shares during the quarter. Western Wealth Management LLC's holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $1,411,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Torren Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Karpus Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Northrop Grumman in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC bought a new position in Northrop Grumman in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Perkins Coie Trust Co bought a new position in Northrop Grumman in the second quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Financial Life Planners purchased a new position in Northrop Grumman during the first quarter valued at $30,000. Institutional investors own 83.40% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Northrop Grumman

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

More Northrop Grumman News

Here are the key news stories impacting Northrop Grumman this week:

• Positive Sentiment: CEO Kathy Warden said Northrop expects to win a “decent share” of the potential $1 trillion Golden Dome space-based missile-defense program. A meaningful award could materially expand the company’s backlog and support long-term growth, although no specific contract has been announced. NOC Stock Inches Ahead — Northrop CEO Reportedly Eyes ‘Decent Share’ In Potential $1 Trillion Golden Dome Defense Contracts
• Positive Sentiment: Warden described Northrop as operating on a “wartime footing” and highlighted rising geopolitical tensions, active conflicts and global defense-spending growth. The comments reinforce expectations for sustained demand across missiles, space systems and other strategic-defense programs. Northrop Grumman Is on a Wartime Footing, CEO Says
• Positive Sentiment: A separate interview emphasized Northrop’s work with the Trump administration on Golden Dome and the broader defense-spending cycle, potentially improving the company’s positioning for future U.S. awards. Northrop CEO on Defense Spending, Golden Dome System
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary characterizes Northrop as a strategic defense holding benefiting from missile demand, space investment and broader defense growth. Northrop Grumman: A Strategic Play On Defense Growth And Missile Demand
• Neutral Sentiment: The administration’s $1.55 billion rare-earth initiative could strengthen the domestic defense supply chain and benefit major contractors such as Northrop, but the direct financial impact on NOC is not yet clear. Why Trump’s $1.55 Billion Rare Earth Move Matters for Lockheed Martin, RTX and Northrop Grumman
• Negative Sentiment: Recent comparisons with Lockheed Martin note that both companies benefit from defense demand but compete with different backlogs, growth rates and international exposure. This may limit NOC’s relative appeal, particularly while Golden Dome opportunities remain uncontracted. LMT vs. NOC: Which Defense Stock Offers Better Growth Prospects?

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently commented on the stock. Raymond James Financial restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Monday, June 15th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a "market perform" rating and set a $653.00 price target on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman from $617.00 to $667.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Susquehanna cut their price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman from $785.00 to $655.00 and set a "positive" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Northrop Grumman from $666.00 to $685.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $661.30.

Northrop Grumman Trading Down 1.2%

NYSE NOC opened at $542.70 on Wednesday. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a 12 month low of $479.02 and a 12 month high of $774.00. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $541.38 and its 200-day moving average price is $607.38. The stock has a market cap of $77.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.24, a P/E/G ratio of 3.56 and a beta of -0.11.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The aerospace company reported $7.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.82 by $0.86. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 24.25% and a net margin of 10.48%.The firm had revenue of $10.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.80 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $8.15 EPS. Northrop Grumman's quarterly revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.600-29.100 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 28.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Northrop Grumman Dividend Announcement

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

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.

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.

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