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Northrop Grumman (NOC) Stock Forecast & Price Target

Northrop Grumman logo
$526.77 +2.77 (+0.53%)
Closing price 09/18/2026 03:59 PM Eastern
Extended Trading
$523.44 -3.33 (-0.63%)
As of 09/18/2026 07:49 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
0
Hold
8
Buy
13

Based on 21 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 21 analysts, 8 have given a hold rating, 11 have given a buy rating, and 2 have given a strong buy rating for NOC.

Consensus Price Target

$659.86
25.26% Upside
According to the 21 analysts' twelve-month price targets for Northrop Grumman, the average price target is $659.86. The highest price target for NOC is $815.00, while the lowest price target for NOC is $500.00. The average price target represents a forecasted upside of 25.26% from the current price of $526.77.
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
9/19/25 to 9/19/26
1 Month Ago
8/20/25 to 8/20/26
3 Months Ago
6/21/25 to 6/21/26
1 Year Ago
9/19/24 to 9/19/25
Strong Buy
2 Strong Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
2 Strong Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy
11 Buy rating(s)
11 Buy rating(s)
11 Buy rating(s)
8 Buy rating(s)
Hold
8 Hold rating(s)
8 Hold rating(s)
8 Hold rating(s)
8 Hold rating(s)
Sell
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price Target$659.86$661.30$702.63$588.85
Forecasted Upside25.26% Upside17.27% Upside34.64% Upside2.98% Upside
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.
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Northrop Grumman Stock vs. The Competition

TypeNorthrop GrummanIndustrials CompaniesBroader Market
Consensus Rating Score
2.71
2.30
2.53
Consensus RatingModerate BuyHoldModerate Buy
Predicted Upside25.26% Upside102.39% Upside18.42% Upside
News Sentiment Rating
Positive News

See Recent NOC News
Positive News
Positive News
DateBrokerageAnalystActionRatingPrice TargetReport Date
Upside/Downside
Details
9/14/2026
Guggenheim logo
Guggenheim
5 of 5 stars
Initiated CoverageBuy$612.00+15.93%
9/10/2026
Weiss Ratings logo
Weiss Ratings
5 of 5 stars
 DowngradeHold (C+)Hold (C)
9/8/2026
UBS Group AG logo
UBS Group
4 of 5 stars
Gavin Parsons
Gavin Parsons
4 of 5 stars
Boost 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%
8/5/2026 Reiterated RatingMarket Perform$653.00+17.54%
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%
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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 TargetOutperform$715.00 ➝ $750.00+10.08%
1/28/2026Boost TargetBuy$685.00 ➝ $750.00+10.50%
1/27/2026Reiterated RatingHold$688.00+1.36%
1/9/2026Reiterated RatingBuyHold$688.00 ➝ $623.00+5.40%
12/15/2025UpgradeNeutralOverweight$662.00+16.08%
11/18/2025 UpgradeStrong-Buy
7/29/2025Boost TargetEqual Weight$500.00 ➝ $580.00+1.65%
2/3/2025UpgradeUnderperformPeer Perform

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Saturday at 02:57 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, September 17, 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 achieved a critical milestone in its Sentinel nuclear modernization program by fully assembling the missile in its operational orientation, a step that confirms the design and integration are on track for a 2027 flight test and production in the 2030s, securing a long-term revenue stream from a core national security asset.
  • The company is operating in a robust demand environment with record backlog levels, driven by accelerated production rates for the B-21 bomber and double-digit growth in national security space, which provides strong visibility into future earnings and supports the current stock price of $528.10.
  • Northrop Grumman Co. is expanding its munitions capacity by pursuing agreements for about eight weapons systems and qualifying as a second source for solid rocket motors, positioning it to capture increased demand from prime contractors and diversify its revenue beyond traditional aerospace platforms.
  • The stock offers a dividend yield of 1.86%, which is attractive for income-focused investors, as the company intends to maintain a competitive dividend while funding investments with attractive long-term return potential, supported by a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81 that indicates manageable leverage.
  • Analysts have recently upgraded the stock to a "Strong-Buy" rating at Guggenheim, and the consensus rating remains "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $659.86, suggesting significant upside potential from the current trading level as the market digests the company's strong execution and growth outlook.

Northrop Grumman
Bear Case

red Wall Street bear icon

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

  • The stock is trading at $528.10, which is significantly below its 52-week high of $774.00 and its 200-day simple moving average of $587.21, indicating a downward trend and potential loss of momentum that could deter short-term investors.
  • Northrop Grumman Co. expects capital expenditures to remain elevated at about 4% to 4.5% of sales over the next several years as it invests in B-21, national security space, and munitions capacity, which may pressure free cash flow and limit the amount of capital available for shareholder returns in the near term.
  • The company faces risks related to the U.S. government's continuing resolution, which could raise costs and create uncertainty for program execution, although management believes it has sufficient funding through early 2027, the prolonged nature of such resolutions is not beneficial for national security or operational efficiency.
  • Short interest has increased in recent months, with shares shorted rising to 2,387,381 as of August 31, 2026, and days to cover increasing to 3.37, suggesting that some market participants are betting against the stock's performance and that there may be underlying concerns about its valuation or growth prospects.
  • Insider selling activity has been notable, with CEO Kathy Warden selling 20,000 shares in February 2026 and other executives also reducing their holdings, which could be interpreted as a lack of confidence in the stock's near-term upside or a desire to diversify personal portfolios, potentially dampening investor sentiment.

NOC Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

According to the research reports of 21 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for Northrop Grumman is $659.86, with a high forecast of $815.00 and a low forecast of $500.00.

21 Wall Street research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Northrop Grumman in the last twelve months. There are currently 8 hold ratings, 11 buy ratings and 2 strong buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street research analysts is that investors should "moderate buy" NOC shares.

According to analysts, Northrop Grumman's stock has a predicted upside of 25.26% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.

Over the previous 90 days, Northrop Grumman's stock had 3 upgrades and 3 downgrades 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 9/14/2026.
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