Legal & General Group Plc Boosts Holdings in Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC

Legal & General Group Plc raised its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) by 4.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 746,585 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after purchasing an additional 29,478 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc owned 0.52% of Northrop Grumman worth $454,909,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of NOC. Soundwatch Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman during the 2nd quarter worth about $6,457,274,000. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman in the second quarter worth about $491,985,000. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its position in shares of Northrop Grumman by 11.8% during the second quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 2,933,061 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $1,466,472,000 after acquiring an additional 308,680 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman by 26.7% during the third quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 1,051,226 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $640,534,000 after buying an additional 221,431 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Northrop Grumman by 49,898.2% in the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 169,494 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $84,744,000 after buying an additional 169,155 shares during the period. 83.40% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Northrop Grumman Stock Down 1.7%

NOC stock opened at $734.38 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $681.98 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $616.73. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. The firm has a market capitalization of $104.22 billion, a PE ratio of 25.21, a PEG ratio of 5.55 and a beta of 0.03. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a twelve month low of $450.13 and a twelve month high of $774.00.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The aerospace company reported $7.23 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.97 by $0.26. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 25.57% and a net margin of 9.97%.The firm had revenue of $11.71 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $11.61 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $6.39 EPS. The company’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. On average, equities analysts predict that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 28.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Northrop Grumman Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 11th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 23rd will be given a dividend of $2.31 per share. This represents a $9.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 23rd. Northrop Grumman’s payout ratio is presently 31.72%.

Insider Transactions at Northrop Grumman

In other news, CEO Kathy J. Warden sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $708.82, for a total value of $14,176,400.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 171,602 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $121,634,929.64. This represents a 10.44% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CAO Michael A. Hardesty sold 147 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $732.98, for a total transaction of $107,748.06. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 2,525 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,850,774.50. The trade was a 5.50% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 32,431 shares of company stock worth $21,969,404 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.23% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have commented on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating and set a $765.00 target price on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Citigroup upped their target price on Northrop Grumman from $715.00 to $781.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Susquehanna restated a “positive” rating and issued a $752.00 price target on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Argus set a $785.00 price target on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Vertical Research reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $688.00 price target on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Northrop Grumman currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $693.60.

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.