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Northrop Grumman (NOC) Stock Forecast & Price Target

Northrop Grumman logo
$483.94 +10.48 (+2.21%)
Closing price 10/8/2026 03:59 PM Eastern
Extended Trading
$484.72 +0.78 (+0.16%)
As of 10/8/2026 07:58 PM Eastern
Extended trading is trading that happens on electronic markets outside of regular trading hours. This is a fair market value extended hours price provided by Massive. Learn more.

Northrop Grumman - Analysts' Recommendations and Stock Price Forecast (2026)

Consensus Rating

Sell
1
Hold
9
Buy
13

Based on 23 Wall Street analysts who have issued ratings for Northrop Grumman in the last 12 months, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy." Out of the 23 analysts, 1 has given a sell rating, 9 have given a hold rating, 11 have given a buy rating, and 2 have given a strong buy rating for NOC.

Consensus Price Target

$639.04
32.05% Upside
According to the 23 analysts' twelve-month price targets for Northrop Grumman, the average price target is $639.04. The highest price target for NOC is $815.00, while the lowest price target for NOC is $419.00. The average price target represents a forecasted upside of 32.05% from the current price of $483.94.
MarketBeat calculates consensus analyst ratings for stocks using the most recent rating from each Wall Street analyst that has rated a stock within the last twelve months. Each analyst's rating is normalized to a standardized rating score of 1 (sell), 2 (hold), 3 (buy) or 4 (strong buy). Analyst consensus ratings scores are calculated using the mean average of the number of normalized sell, hold, buy and strong buy ratings from Wall Street analysts. Each stock's consensus analyst rating is derived from its calculated consensus ratings score (0 to .5 = Strong Sell, .5 to 1 = Sell, 1 to 1.5 = Reduce, 1.5 to 2.5 = Hold, 2.5 to 3.0 = Moderate Buy, 3.0 to 3.5 = Buy, >3.5 = Strong Buy). MarketBeat's consensus price targets are a mean average of the most recent available price targets set by each analyst that has set a price target for the stock in the last twelve months. MarketBeat's consensus ratings and consensus price targets may differ from those calculated by other firms due to differences in methodology and available data.
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NOC Analyst Ratings Over Time

TypeCurrent Forecast
10/9/25 to 10/9/26
1 Month Ago
9/9/25 to 9/9/26
3 Months Ago
7/11/25 to 7/11/26
1 Year Ago
10/9/24 to 10/9/25
Strong Buy
2 Strong Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy
11 Buy rating(s)
11 Buy rating(s)
11 Buy rating(s)
10 Buy rating(s)
Hold
9 Hold rating(s)
8 Hold rating(s)
9 Hold rating(s)
6 Hold rating(s)
Sell
1 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price Target$639.04$662.25$688.89$601.00
Forecasted Upside32.05% Upside28.22% Upside27.69% Upside-5.39% Downside
Consensus RatingModerate BuyModerate BuyModerate BuyModerate Buy

NOC Analyst Recommendations By Month

The chart below shows how a company's ratings by analysts have changed over time. Each bar represents the previous year of ratings for that month. Within each bar, the sell ratings are shown in red, the hold ratings are shown in yellow, the buy ratings are shown in green, and the strong buy ratings are shown in dark green.
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NOC Price Targets by Month

The chart below shows how a company's share price and consensus price target have changed over time. The dark blue line represents the company's actual price. The lighter blue line represents the stock's consensus price target. The even lighter blue range in the background of the two lines represents the low price target and the high price target for each stock.
Skip Chart and View Analyst Price Target HistorySkip Chart & View Price History Table

Northrop Grumman Stock vs. The Competition

TypeNorthrop GrummanIndustrials CompaniesBroader Market
Consensus Rating Score
2.61
2.31
2.52
Consensus RatingModerate BuyHoldModerate Buy
Predicted Upside32.05% Upside118.15% Upside19.62% Upside
News Sentiment Rating
Neutral News

See Recent NOC News
Neutral News
Neutral News
Report Date
0 Results
DateBrokerageAnalystActionRatingPrice TargetReport Date
Upside/Downside
Details
10/8/2026
Barclays PLC logo
Barclays
3 of 5 stars
 Initiated CoverageEqual Weight ➝ Underweight$419.00-13.42%
10/6/2026Initiated CoverageBuy$680.00+42.79%
10/2/2026
Ken Herbert
5 of 5 stars
DowngradeOutperform ➝ Sector Perform$640.00 ➝ $525.00+8.90%
9/23/2026Lower TargetMarket Perform$653.00 ➝ $620.00+21.54%
9/14/2026Initiated CoverageBuy$612.00+15.93%
9/10/2026 DowngradeHold (C+) ➝ Hold (C)
9/8/2026Boost TargetBuy$685.00 ➝ $704.00+36.99%
8/19/2026Boost TargetHold$550.00 ➝ $590.00-0.14%
8/13/2026Boost TargetBuy$617.00 ➝ $667.00+15.61%
7/23/2026Lower TargetNeutral$635.00 ➝ $600.00+13.21%
7/22/2026 Set Target$615.00+16.27%
7/22/2026Lower TargetPositive$785.00 ➝ $655.00+23.72%
7/22/2026 Set Target$500.00-1.74%
7/15/2026Set Target$745.00+41.00%
7/14/2026Lower TargetNeutral$603.00 ➝ $533.00-1.63%
7/8/2026Reiterated RatingOverweight$620.00+12.99%
6/26/2026Lower TargetHold$620.00 ➝ $580.00+15.08%
6/15/2026 Reiterated RatingOutperform
4/22/2026Reiterated RatingBuy$815.00+33.30%
2/10/2026 Set Target$785.00+14.17%
1/28/2026Boost TargetBuy$685.00 ➝ $750.00+10.50%
1/27/2026Reiterated RatingHold$688.00+1.36%
1/9/2026Reiterated RatingBuy ➝ Hold$688.00 ➝ $623.00+5.40%
12/15/2025UpgradeNeutral ➝ Overweight$662.00+16.08%
11/18/2025 UpgradeStrong-Buy
2/3/2025UpgradeUnderperform ➝ Peer Perform

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Friday at 01:24 AM ET.


Should I Buy Northrop Grumman Stock? NOC Pros and Cons Explained

These pros and cons were generated based on recent news and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate insights. They were last updated on Thursday, October 8, 2026. Please send any questions or comments about these Northrop Grumman pros and cons to contact@marketbeat.com.

Northrop Grumman
Bull Case

green Wall Street bull icon

Here are some ways that investors could benefit from investing in Northrop Grumman Co.:

  • Northrop Grumman Co. recently announced its FORTITUDE gallium nitride chip, a technology roughly the size of a grain of rice that processes vast portions of the electromagnetic spectrum on a single device. This innovation delivers three times more power and 20 times better signal quality for applications such as satellites, radar, GPS, electronic warfare, and future 6G systems, positioning the company to lead in advanced electronics and reduce system weight and power usage for both commercial and defense clients.
  • With the stock currently trading at $483.94, Northrop Grumman Co. offers a compelling valuation opportunity as the price sits near its 52-week low of $470.06. This significant discount from its 52-week high of $774.00 suggests that recent market volatility may have created an entry point for investors, particularly given that the company continues to raise guidance and grow its backlogs to record levels despite the share price decline.
  • Analysts at Rothschild & Co Redburn initiated coverage on Northrop Grumman Co. with a "buy" rating and a $680.00 price target, indicating a potential upside of over 40% from the current price. This bullish stance is supported by the firm's view that rising military spending and changes in modern warfare are driving faster modernization of sophisticated systems, stockpile replenishment, and efforts to secure space, which aligns with Northrop Grumman Co.'s core business strengths.
  • Northrop Grumman Co. demonstrated strong financial performance in its most recent earnings report, reporting $7.68 earnings per share for the quarter, which significantly topped the consensus estimate of $6.82. The company also set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.600-29.100 EPS, exceeding the consensus estimate of 27.950, which signals management confidence in continued profitability and operational efficiency despite broader market concerns.
  • Institutional interest in Northrop Grumman Co. remains robust, with 83.40% of the company's stock owned by institutional investors. Recent filings show that firms like CX Institutional significantly increased their holdings, growing their position by 1,146.4% during the third quarter, which suggests that sophisticated investors are accumulating shares and viewing the current price level as an attractive opportunity for long-term growth.

Northrop Grumman
Bear Case

red Wall Street bear icon

Investors should be bearish about investing in Northrop Grumman Co. for these reasons:

  • Royal Bank of Canada downgraded Northrop Grumman Co. from an "outperform" rating to a "sector perform" rating and lowered its price target from $640.00 to $525.00, citing concerns about slower U.S. defense spending. RBC expects the company's sales growth to remain broadly in line with its defense peers through 2028, suggesting that the 6% revenue growth projected from 2026 through 2028 may be a best-case scenario rather than a guaranteed outcome.
  • Northrop Grumman Co. has experienced a significant decline in share price, trading down to $483.94, which is a substantial drop from its 52-week high of $774.00. This downward trend, coupled with a recent gap down of $21.61 on September 30, 2026, indicates persistent market pressure and potential investor skepticism about the company's future growth trajectory and valuation relative to its peers.
  • Insider selling activity has been notable, with CEO Kathy J. Warden selling 20,000 shares at an average price of $708.82 in February 2026 and another 10,000 shares in January 2026. While these sales may be part of pre-arranged trading plans, the consistent reduction in insider holdings, including sales by other executives like Benjamin R. Davies and Michael A. Hardesty, could be interpreted as a lack of confidence in the stock's near-term appreciation potential.
  • Northrop Grumman Co. faces margin risks and growth limitations due to the broader defense spending environment, as highlighted by RBC's downgrade. The company's reliance on government contracts and the potential for budget constraints in the U.S. Department of Defense could impact its ability to maintain high profit margins and achieve its revenue targets, particularly if defense spending does not accelerate as expected.
  • The stock's beta of -0.11 suggests that Northrop Grumman Co. has moved inversely to the overall market, which could indicate that it is being sold off as a defensive position or that investors are rotating out of the sector. This negative correlation, combined with the recent price decline, may signal that the stock is underperforming relative to broader market trends and could continue to face headwinds if market sentiment shifts further against defense stocks.

NOC Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

According to the research reports of 23 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for Northrop Grumman is $639.04, with a high forecast of $815.00 and a low forecast of $419.00.

23 Wall Street analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Northrop Grumman in the last year. There is currently 1 sell rating, 9 hold ratings, 11 buy ratings and 2 strong buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street analysts is that investors should "moderate buy" NOC shares.

According to analysts, Northrop Grumman's stock has a predicted upside of 32.05% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.

Over the previous 90 days, Northrop Grumman's stock had 4 downgrades and 3 upgrades by analysts.

Analysts like Northrop Grumman more than other "industrials" companies. The consensus rating for Northrop Grumman is Moderate Buy while the average consensus rating for "industrials" companies is Hold. Learn more on how NOC compares to other companies.


MarketBeat monitors more than a dozen sources for Northrop Grumman analyst ratings, with the most recent rating issued on 10/8/2026.
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