Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) Sets New 1-Year High - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• Northrop Grumman's stock reached a new 52-week high of $616.63, indicating strong market performance.
• Analysts have given the stock a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy", with a target price of $588.85, reflecting positive sentiments about future growth.
• The company reported strong quarterly earnings, with $7.11 EPS that exceeded estimates, highlighting its financial stability.

Shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high on Monday . The company traded as high as $612.45 and last traded at $616.63, with a volume of 15873 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $609.54.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

NOC has been the subject of several recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an "overweight" rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on Northrop Grumman from $547.00 to $565.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 23rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "hold" rating and set a $542.00 price objective (down previously from $580.00) on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Tuesday, July 8th. Susquehanna increased their target price on Northrop Grumman from $557.00 to $650.00 and gave the company a "positive" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 22nd. Finally, Bank of America raised their target price on Northrop Grumman from $550.00 to $650.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 23rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $588.85.

Northrop Grumman Trading Up 1.2%

The firm has a market cap of $88.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.84 and a beta of 0.10. The business's 50 day moving average is $585.11 and its 200-day moving average is $529.61. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 22nd. The aerospace company reported $7.11 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.84 by $0.27. The company had revenue of $10.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.15 billion. Northrop Grumman had a net margin of 9.74% and a return on equity of 25.52%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 1.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $6.36 EPS. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2025 guidance at 25.000-25.400 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 28.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Northrop Grumman Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 17th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 2nd were issued a dividend of $2.31 per share. This represents a $9.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 2nd. Northrop Grumman's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 34.06%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Northrop Grumman

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NOC. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in shares of Northrop Grumman by 176.3% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 2,970 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $1,394,000 after buying an additional 1,895 shares during the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC grew its holdings in shares of Northrop Grumman by 5.3% during the fourth quarter. Bison Wealth LLC now owns 641 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $301,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares during the last quarter. RFG Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Northrop Grumman during the 1st quarter worth approximately $294,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Northrop Grumman by 29.3% in the 1st quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 106 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $54,000 after purchasing an additional 24 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vest Financial LLC acquired a new position in Northrop Grumman during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $222,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.40% of the company's stock.

Northrop Grumman Company Profile

Northrop Grumman Corporation operates as an aerospace and defense technology company in the United States, Asia/Pacific, Europe, and internationally. The company's Aeronautics Systems segment designs, develops, manufactures, integrates, and sustains aircraft systems. This segment also offers unmanned autonomous aircraft systems, including high-altitude long-endurance strategic ISR systems and vertical take-off and landing tactical ISR systems; and strategic long-range strike aircraft, tactical fighter and air dominance aircraft, and airborne battle management and command and control systems.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.