ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc. Sells 2,997 Shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC

Key Points

• ZWJ Investment Counsel trimmed its stake in Northrop Grumman by 3% in Q4, selling 2,997 shares and leaving it with 97,536 shares worth about $55.6 million, making NOC roughly 2.0% of the fund's portfolio (its 17th-largest holding).
• Program momentum — including accelerated flight testing of the B-21 Raider and progress on the Sentinel ICBM program — supports stronger long-term revenue and backlog visibility for Northrop Grumman.
• Despite analyst optimism (consensus rating Moderate Buy with a ~$719.58 target), recent insider selling (CEO Kathy Warden sold 20,000 shares) and concerns that B-21 scale-up and higher R&D/production costs could pressure near-term margins present risks.

ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc. trimmed its position in Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC - Free Report) by 3.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 97,536 shares of the aerospace company's stock after selling 2,997 shares during the quarter. Northrop Grumman comprises about 2.0% of ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest position. ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc. owned about 0.07% of Northrop Grumman worth $55,616,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Financial Life Planners bought a new stake in Northrop Grumman in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. increased its stake in Northrop Grumman by 200.0% in the 3rd quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 48 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 32 shares during the last quarter. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. bought a new stake in Northrop Grumman in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new stake in Northrop Grumman in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Wexford Capital LP bought a new stake in Northrop Grumman in the third quarter worth $33,000. 83.40% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Northrop Grumman News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: B-21 Raider flight test acceleration: Northrop reports successful aerial refueling, multiple sorties with strong reliability, and a $5+ billion investment in digital/manufacturing infrastructure to speed production and deliver first aircraft to Ellsworth AFB in 2027 — a clear upside for future revenue and long-term defense backlog. Northrop Grumman's B-21 Raider Powers Unmatched Long-Range Strike Capability
• Positive Sentiment: Sentinel ICBM program momentum: Company and USAF updates show accelerated development toward a 2027 first flight and early-2030s initial capability, reinforcing NOC’s role in high-priority modernization programs and supporting sustained funding visibility. Northrop Grumman and U.S. Air Force Accelerate Sentinel Program Momentum
• Neutral Sentiment: Pre-earnings setup: Multiple previews (Zacks/Yahoo) expect NOC to post growing EPS and position it for another potential beat based on backlog and defense demand; this sets expectations heading into the quarterly release next week. Northrop Grumman (NOC) Earnings Expected to Grow: What to Know Ahead of Next Week's Release
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling and institutional rebalancing: QuiverQuant data highlights multiple insider sales in recent months and large hedge-fund/institutional position changes (some sizeable reductions), which can sap near-term investor confidence. Northrop Grumman's B-21 Raider Demonstrates Advanced Capabilities as Flight Testing Accelerates
• Negative Sentiment: Cost and margin risks: Analysts and previews warn that B-21 program scale-up and higher R&D/production spending could pressure near-term margins despite revenue tailwinds—an important risk for the upcoming quarter. Northrop Grumman to Post Q1 Earnings: What's in Store for the Stock?

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on NOC shares. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on shares of Northrop Grumman from $715.00 to $750.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $765.00 price target on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of Northrop Grumman from $690.00 to $710.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. TD Cowen restated a "hold" rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Monday, March 23rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $719.58.

Northrop Grumman Stock Performance

NYSE NOC opened at $679.95 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $96.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.34, a P/E/G ratio of 4.82 and a beta of 0.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a current ratio of 1.10. The business's 50 day moving average price is $709.81 and its 200-day moving average price is $637.42. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $450.13 and a fifty-two week high of $774.00.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The aerospace company reported $7.23 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $6.97 by $0.26. Northrop Grumman had a net margin of 9.97% and a return on equity of 25.57%. The business had revenue of $11.71 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $11.61 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $6.39 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 9.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2026 guidance at 27.400-27.900 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 28.05 earnings per share for the current year.

Northrop Grumman Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 11th. Investors of record on Monday, February 23rd were issued a dividend of $2.31 per share. This represents a $9.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 23rd. Northrop Grumman's dividend payout ratio is presently 31.72%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Mark A. Welsh III sold 95 shares of the company'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 transaction of $65,029.40. Following the transaction, the director owned 4,203 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,877,037.56. This represents a 2.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Kathy J. Warden sold 20,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $708.82, for a total value of $14,176,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 171,602 shares in the company, valued at approximately $121,634,929.64. This represents a 10.44% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 22,431 shares of company stock valued at $15,924,404. 0.23% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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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