Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. Cuts Position in Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC

Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. lessened its position in Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) by 4.2% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 89,208 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after selling 3,945 shares during the quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. owned 0.06% of Northrop Grumman worth $54,356,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in NOC. River Street Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Northrop Grumman by 4.0% during the 3rd quarter. River Street Advisors LLC now owns 3,519 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $2,144,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Glass Wealth Management Co LLC grew its position in Northrop Grumman by 9.3% during the third quarter. Glass Wealth Management Co LLC now owns 8,879 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $5,410,000 after acquiring an additional 754 shares during the last quarter. Earned Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman during the third quarter worth approximately $215,000. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Northrop Grumman by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 62,875 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $38,311,000 after acquiring an additional 490 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Gateway Investment Advisers LLC boosted its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC now owns 9,770 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $5,953,000 after purchasing an additional 29 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 83.40% of the company’s stock.

Northrop Grumman News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Trump proposed a large jump in 2027 defense spending to $1.5 trillion, which would be a material revenue/tailwind for major contractors like Northrop if enacted. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary (Zacks blog) highlights geopolitical developments (e.g., U.S. action in Venezuela) that could lift defense names and benefit Northrop’s backlog and program demand. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks Research made a series of small EPS estimate changes for Northrop across several quarters (some trims, some lifts); these moves are modest and mostly keep consensus full‑year EPS near prior levels—limited immediate impact but worth watching for revisions. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent media pieces reviewing NOC’s multi‑year performance and technical strength (relative strength ratings, “Is it too late” investor pieces) raise investor attention but do not change fundamentals. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: President Trump said he “will not permit” dividends or stock buybacks for defense firms until production problems and executive‑pay issues are addressed—comments that create regulatory and political uncertainty for Northrop and peers. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple outlets covered the pushback (Reuters, Investopedia) and the market reacted negatively; these stories amplify the risk that policy or public pressure could constrain capital returns or force corporate changes. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Northrop CEO Kathy Warden sold shares (~10,000 shares across Jan 5–6 in filings), which some investors interpret as a negative signal or at least adds to near‑term selling pressure; filings are disclosed with the SEC. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction pieces noted an immediate drop in Northrop shares after Trump’s remarks—investors are re‑pricing regulatory risk and potential restrictions on buybacks/dividends. Read More.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have weighed in on NOC. BNP Paribas Exane started coverage on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $710.00 price target for the company. Citigroup initiated coverage on Northrop Grumman in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $654.00 target price for the company. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $696.00 price target on Northrop Grumman in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Northrop Grumman from $575.00 to $640.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $714.00 price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Northrop Grumman has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $651.18.

Northrop Grumman Price Performance

Shares of NOC stock opened at $575.95 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a current ratio of 1.11. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $426.24 and a fifty-two week high of $640.90. The firm has a market cap of $82.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.72, a P/E/G ratio of 5.07 and a beta of 0.05. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $569.13 and its 200-day moving average price is $570.54.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 21st. The aerospace company reported $7.67 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.43 by $1.24. The company had revenue of $10.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.68 billion. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 25.49% and a net margin of 9.82%.The firm’s revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $7.00 earnings per share. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2025 guidance at 25.650-26.050 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 28.05 earnings per share for the current year.

Northrop Grumman Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 17th. Investors of record on Monday, December 1st were given a dividend of $2.31 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 1st. This represents a $9.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. Northrop Grumman’s payout ratio is currently 33.24%.

Insider Transactions at Northrop Grumman

In other Northrop Grumman news, CEO Kathy J. Warden sold 7,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $600.00, for a total value of $4,200,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 194,602 shares in the company, valued at $116,761,200. This trade represents a 3.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Mark A. Welsh III sold 97 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $564.08, for a total value of $54,715.76. Following the transaction, the director owned 4,281 shares in the company, valued at $2,414,826.48. This trade represents a 2.22% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders sold 10,097 shares of company stock valued at $6,099,716. 0.23% of the stock is owned by 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.