Shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC – Get Free Report) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, ten have assigned a buy recommendation and two have issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $710.7368.
A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Vertical Research reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $688.00 price target on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Northrop Grumman from $765.00 to $745.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on Northrop Grumman from $715.00 to $750.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Truist Financial reissued a “hold” rating and set a $623.00 price objective (down from $688.00) on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price objective on Northrop Grumman from $807.00 to $742.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 23rd.
Read Our Latest Stock Report on NOC
Northrop Grumman News Roundup
- Positive Sentiment: Recent program wins and technical deliveries underscore steady government demand and program execution: a reported $207M contract win signals ongoing defense spending support. Northrop Grumman (NOC): A $207 Million Contract Win Signals Ongoing Demand
- Positive Sentiment: Program milestone — first production delivery of the EGI-M resilient airborne navigation system (with INTEGRITY‑178 tuMP RTOS) reinforces NOC’s work on resilient navigation for contested environments. Northrop Grumman Relies on INTEGRITY-178 tuMP RTOS for EGI‑M Delivery
- Positive Sentiment: Longer-term market opportunity flagged: coverage noting Meta’s interest in space-based solar as AI power demand rises suggests potential commercial space opportunities for suppliers like Northrop. This is thematic upside beyond defense budgets. Meta Platforms Is Betting on Space-Based Solar Power — Northrop Could Be a Winner
- Neutral Sentiment: CEO Kathy Warden’s appearance on T. Rowe Price’s podcast highlights management’s focus on AI, autonomy, space and speed-to-deliver — good for investor visibility but not an immediate catalyst. T. Rowe Price Explores Leadership and Innovation with Northrop Grumman CEO Kathy Warden
- Neutral Sentiment: Market technicals: shares recently snapped a long losing streak, which can reduce near-term downside but leaves investors cautious until momentum and guidance are fully digested. Northrop Grumman Stock Just Snapped a Brutal Streak
- Negative Sentiment: Investor caution after Q1: analysts raised revealing questions despite modest beats on EPS/revenue — management cited heavy production investments (B‑21, Sentinel, munitions), which supports margins long‑term but raises near-term execution and capital concerns. 5 Revealing Analyst Questions From Northrop Grumman’s Q1 Earnings Call
- Negative Sentiment: Analyst stance and political uncertainty: Jefferies’ hold rating and reports of Republican pushback on a large proposed defense budget raise doubts about the pace and certainty of incremental defense spending — a potential headwind for sentiment. Jefferies Sticks to Their Hold Rating for Northrop Grumman (NOC) Trump’s $1.5 Trillion Defense Plan Draws Rare Republican Pushback
Insider Transactions at Northrop Grumman
In other news, Director Mark A. Welsh III sold 95 shares of Northrop Grumman stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $684.52, for a total transaction of $65,029.40. Following the sale, the director owned 4,203 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,877,037.56. This trade represents a 2.21% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CAO Michael A. Hardesty sold 147 shares of Northrop Grumman stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $732.98, for a total value of $107,748.06. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 2,525 shares in the company, valued at $1,850,774.50. The trade was a 5.50% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 22,431 shares of company stock worth $15,924,404 over the last quarter. 0.21% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
Institutional Trading of Northrop Grumman
Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Kestra Investment Management LLC raised its stake in Northrop Grumman by 4.4% during the fourth quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC now owns 353 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $201,000 after acquiring an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in Northrop Grumman by 6.8% during the fourth quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $134,000 after acquiring an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. Howard Financial Services LTD. raised its stake in Northrop Grumman by 1.4% during the fourth quarter. Howard Financial Services LTD. now owns 1,143 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $651,000 after acquiring an additional 16 shares in the last quarter. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC raised its stake in Northrop Grumman by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC now owns 1,973 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $1,125,000 after acquiring an additional 16 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC raised its stake in Northrop Grumman by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 4,012 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $2,288,000 after acquiring an additional 16 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.40% of the company’s stock.
Northrop Grumman Stock Down 0.9%
Shares of NOC stock opened at $572.74 on Friday. Northrop Grumman has a 12 month low of $453.01 and a 12 month high of $774.00. The firm has a market cap of $81.35 billion, a PE ratio of 17.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.10 and a beta of 0.04. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $691.42 and a 200-day moving average of $637.16. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84.
Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The aerospace company reported $6.14 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.06 by $0.08. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 24.72% and a net margin of 10.80%.The company had revenue of $9.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.75 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $6.06 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2026 guidance at 27.400-27.900 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Northrop Grumman will post 27.86 EPS for the current year.
Northrop Grumman Announces Dividend
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 11th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 23rd were issued a dividend of $2.31 per share. This represents a $9.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 23rd. Northrop Grumman’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.92%.
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.
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