Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) Upgraded at Robert W. Baird

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) was upgraded by equities researchers at Robert W. Baird from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, Zacks reports.

Several other equities analysts also recently commented on the company. TD Cowen cut their price objective on Northrop Grumman from $590.00 to $540.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $615.00 target price on Northrop Grumman and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their target price on Northrop Grumman from $620.00 to $556.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 14th. Susquehanna lowered their target price on shares of Northrop Grumman from $785.00 to $655.00 and set a “positive” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Guggenheim boosted their target price on shares of Northrop Grumman from $612.00 to $640.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $641.35.

Northrop Grumman Trading Up 1.0%

NOC opened at $539.46 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $76.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.02, a P/E/G ratio of 3.05 and a beta of -0.11. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $522.28 and its 200-day moving average price is $548.98. Northrop Grumman has a one year low of $470.06 and a one year high of $774.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.23.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 20th. The aerospace company reported $7.89 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $7.18 by $0.71. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 23.46% and a net margin of 10.37%. The firm had revenue of $11.12 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.14 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $7.67 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that Northrop Grumman will post 29.55 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Mark Welsh, III sold 95 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $547.53, for a total value of $52,015.35. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 4,393 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,405,299.29. The trade was a 2.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 0.21% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of NOC. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 10.0% during the third quarter. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC now owns 527 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $255,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares during the period. Root Financial Partners LLC raised its position in Northrop Grumman by 60.9% during the third quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 904 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $437,000 after acquiring an additional 342 shares in the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. raised its position in Northrop Grumman by 16.2% during the third quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 717 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $347,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Marion Wealth Management raised its position in Northrop Grumman by 4.0% during the third quarter. Marion Wealth Management now owns 3,043 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $1,471,000 after acquiring an additional 117 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Flavin Financial Services Inc. lifted its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 9.9% in the third quarter. Flavin Financial Services Inc. now owns 2,911 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $1,407,000 after acquiring an additional 263 shares during the period. 83.40% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Northrop Grumman

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 earnings beat expectations. Northrop reported adjusted earnings of $7.89 per share, ahead of the approximately $7.18 consensus, while revenue rose 6.7% year over year to $11.12 billion and broadly matched estimates. Northrop Grumman Shares Up on Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised its FY 2026 earnings outlook. The company now expects EPS of $29.35-$29.75, above the consensus estimate of $28.97. Revenue guidance of $43.8 billion-$44.3 billion was maintained around analysts’ expectations. Northrop Grumman Q3 Earnings Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Record backlog supports longer-term visibility. Backlog reached approximately $109.6 billion-$110 billion, up about 20% year over year, with a 1.5x book-to-bill ratio. Management also projected 5%-7% sales growth in 2027, supported by B-21 bomber investment and demand across defense and space programs. Northrop Grumman Earnings Call Highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment improved. BNP Paribas Exane raised its price target to $600 and rated the stock “outperform,” while Baird increased its target to $675 and upgraded the shares. Bank of America maintained a Buy rating with a $750 target. Northrop Grumman Analysts Boost Their Forecasts
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are weighing the growth outlook against higher capital spending, potential margin pressure and paused share buybacks. The company’s sizable government exposure also leaves it sensitive to defense-budget priorities and political developments.

Northrop Grumman Company Profile

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) is a global aerospace and defense company that develops and produces systems for government and commercial customers, with the U.S. government representing its primary customer base. The company operates across aerospace, defense, space, cybersecurity and advanced technology markets.

Its products and services include military aircraft and autonomous systems, space systems and satellites, missile defense technologies, command-and-control systems, cyber solutions, sensors, communications networks and other mission-critical systems.