Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) Hits New 12-Month High After Earnings Beat

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) shares reached a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The stock traded as high as $683.01 and last traded at $678.1770, with a volume of 911946 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $660.97.

The aerospace company reported $7.23 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.97 by $0.26. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 25.49% and a net margin of 9.82%.During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $6.39 earnings per share. Northrop Grumman’s revenue was up 9.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2026 guidance at 27.400-27.900 EPS.

Northrop Grumman Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 1st were given a $2.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 1st. This represents a $9.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. Northrop Grumman’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 33.24%.

Trending Headlines about Northrop Grumman

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat on profit and revenue — NOC reported $7.23 EPS (above consensus) and $11.7B in revenue, up ~9.6% YoY, driven by strength across segments which supports near-term earnings momentum. Record Organic Sales Aid Northrop’s Q4 Earnings & Revenue Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Record backlog and demand tailwinds — backlog rose to about $95.7B, signaling multi-year revenue visibility and strong defense/space program demand amid geopolitical uncertainty. What’s Going On With Northrup Grumman Stock?
• Positive Sentiment: Margins, cash flow and buybacks supportive — the company expanded operating margins and reported strong operating cash flow / free cash generation, enabling continued buybacks and supporting shareholder returns. Northrop Grumman Confirms Breakout With Buy Signal
• Neutral Sentiment: Full earnings materials and transcripts available — investors can review the Q4 slide deck and the earnings-call transcript for segment-level detail and management commentary on program timing. Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Q4 Results — Earnings Call Presentation
• Negative Sentiment: Cautious FY2026 guidance — management set FY2026 EPS of $27.40–$27.90 and revenue guidance roughly $43.5–$44.0B, slightly below some analyst consensus, which could cap upside until execution against backlog is demonstrated. Northrop Grumman Releases Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Financial Results
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling flagged — recent open-market sales by senior insiders are noted in filings; while not unusual, this can create short-term sentiment headwinds. Insider Activity & Financial Results

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently weighed in on NOC shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $700.00 price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Northrop Grumman from $654.00 to $715.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Northrop Grumman from $770.00 to $777.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $727.00 price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Northrop Grumman from $575.00 to $640.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $656.82.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Kathy J. Warden sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $615.00, for a total transaction of $1,845,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 191,602 shares in the company, valued at $117,835,230. This represents a 1.54% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 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 sale, the director owned 4,281 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,414,826.48. This trade represents a 2.22% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 10,097 shares of company stock worth $6,099,716 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.23% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Northrop Grumman

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman by 176.3% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 2,970 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $1,394,000 after acquiring an additional 1,895 shares in the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC raised 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 worth $301,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP lifted its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 367.7% in the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 2,516 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $1,288,000 after acquiring an additional 1,978 shares during the last quarter. Patton Fund Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Northrop Grumman in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $232,000. Finally, KG&L Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Northrop Grumman in the second quarter valued at $280,000. 83.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Northrop Grumman Stock Performance

The company’s 50-day moving average is $589.86 and its two-hundred day moving average is $584.59. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. The stock has a market capitalization of $96.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.48, a P/E/G ratio of 5.46 and a beta of 0.05.

About Northrop Grumman

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.