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Northrop Grumman (NOC) Stock Forecast & Price Target

Northrop Grumman logo
$550.54 -14.87 (-2.63%)
Closing price 10/27/2026 03:59 PM Eastern
Extended Trading
$551.08 +0.54 (+0.10%)
As of 06:22 AM 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
15

Based on 25 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 25 analysts, 1 has given a sell rating, 9 have given a hold rating, and 15 have given a buy rating for NOC.

Consensus Price Target

$643.74
16.93% Upside
According to the 25 analysts' twelve-month price targets for Northrop Grumman, the average price target is $643.74. The highest price target for NOC is $815.00, while the lowest price target for NOC is $430.00. The average price target represents a forecasted upside of 16.93% from the current price of $550.54.
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
10/28/25 to 10/28/26
1 Month Ago
9/28/25 to 9/28/26
3 Months Ago
7/30/25 to 7/30/26
1 Year Ago
10/28/24 to 10/28/25
Strong Buy
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2 Strong Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy
15 Buy rating(s)
12 Buy rating(s)
12 Buy rating(s)
11 Buy rating(s)
Hold
9 Hold rating(s)
9 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$643.74$664.24$665.25$642.73
Forecasted Upside16.93% Upside31.56% Upside24.46% Upside8.03% 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.
Skip Chart & View Analyst Rating History

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
2.56
2.30
2.53
Consensus RatingModerate BuyHoldModerate Buy
Predicted Upside16.93% Upside55.87% Upside16.43% Upside
News Sentiment Rating
Positive News

See Recent NOC News
Positive News
Positive News
Report Date
0 Results
DateBrokerageAnalystActionRatingPrice TargetReport Date
Upside/Downside
Details
10/27/2026Boost TargetMarket Perform$556.00 ➝ $590.00+4.25%
10/26/2026
Seth Seifman
4 of 5 stars
Boost TargetNeutral$600.00 ➝ $605.00+8.18%
10/25/2026
Sheila Kahyaoglu
Sheila Kahyaoglu
3 of 5 stars
Reiterated RatingHold$585.00+6.10%
10/22/2026Boost TargetUnderweight$419.00 ➝ $430.00-20.29%
10/21/2026Boost TargetBuy$694.00 ➝ $698.00+28.64%
10/21/2026Boost TargetOverweight$745.00 ➝ $765.00+40.99%
10/21/2026Boost TargetBuy$612.00 ➝ $640.00+19.68%
10/21/2026Set TargetNeutral ➝ Outperform$550.00 ➝ $675.00+26.22%
10/21/2026Boost TargetOutperform$540.00 ➝ $600.00+11.26%
10/21/2026Boost TargetSector Perform$525.00 ➝ $550.00+2.85%
10/9/2026Lower TargetHold$590.00 ➝ $540.00+11.70%
10/8/2026 UpgradeHold (C) ➝ Hold (C+)
10/6/2026Initiated CoverageBuy$680.00+42.79%
8/13/2026Boost TargetBuy$617.00 ➝ $667.00+15.61%
7/27/2026Boost TargetNeutral$533.00 ➝ $538.00+11.86%
7/22/2026 Set TargetBuy$645.00 ➝ $615.00+16.27%
7/22/2026Lower TargetPositive$785.00 ➝ $655.00+23.72%
7/8/2026Reiterated RatingOverweight$800.00 ➝ $620.00+12.99%
6/15/2026 Reiterated RatingOutperform
4/22/2026Reiterated RatingBuy$815.00+33.30%
2/10/2026 Set TargetBuy$625.00 ➝ $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%
2/3/2025UpgradeUnderperform ➝ Peer Perform

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Wednesday at 06:24 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 Saturday, October 24, 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 reported third-quarter earnings that significantly exceeded market expectations, with earnings per share of $7.89 compared to the consensus estimate of $7.18, demonstrating strong operational performance and profitability that supports the investment case.
  • The company holds a record backlog of $109.6 billion, which provides substantial revenue visibility and long-term earnings stability, as this backlog represents future work that has already been contracted and secured by the company.
  • Northrop Grumman Co. raised its full-year 2026 earnings guidance to a range of $29.35 to $29.75 per share, which is above the consensus estimate of $28.97, signaling management confidence in continued growth and the ability to deliver higher profits than previously anticipated by analysts.
  • With the current stock price at $551.38, the company offers a dividend yield of 1.79%, providing a steady income stream for investors, supported by a payout ratio of 31.17% which indicates that the company retains a significant portion of its earnings for reinvestment and growth.
  • Recent analyst actions, including an upgrade from Robert W. Baird to an "outperform" rating with a price target of $675.00, suggest that the stock may be undervalued relative to its fundamental performance, offering potential upside for investors entering the position now.

Northrop Grumman
Bear Case

red Wall Street bear icon

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

  • Despite strong backlog figures, commentary on the company and other defense contractors highlights ongoing margin pressures, which could limit the company's ability to convert revenue into profit and may weigh on near-term valuation and shareholder returns.
  • The stock has experienced a significant decline from its 52-week high of $774.00 to the current price of $551.38, indicating a substantial drawdown that may reflect broader market skepticism or specific concerns about the company's future trajectory that have not yet been fully resolved.
  • Northrop Grumman Co. has paused its share buyback program, a move that removes a key mechanism for supporting stock price and returning capital to shareholders, which could be a negative signal for investors looking for aggressive capital allocation strategies.
  • Analyst opinions remain mixed, with RBC Capital assigning a "hold" rating despite other firms being more bullish, suggesting that there is still significant uncertainty or disagreement among professionals regarding the stock's immediate potential for appreciation.
  • The company's beta of -0.11 suggests that its stock price moves inversely to the broader market, which can be confusing for investors expecting standard market correlation and may indicate unique risk factors or liquidity issues specific to the stock's trading behavior.

NOC Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

According to the research reports of 25 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for Northrop Grumman is $643.74, with a high forecast of $815.00 and a low forecast of $430.00.

25 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 and 15 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 16.93% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.

Over the previous 90 days, Northrop Grumman's stock had 4 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 10/27/2026.
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