HighTower Advisors LLC Purchases 3,416 Shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC

HighTower Advisors LLC grew its position in Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) by 4.4% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 81,355 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after buying an additional 3,416 shares during the quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC’s holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $46,389,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Howard Financial Services LTD. lifted its holdings in shares of Northrop Grumman by 1.4% in the fourth quarter. Howard Financial Services LTD. now owns 1,143 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $651,000 after purchasing an additional 16 shares in the last quarter. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Northrop Grumman by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC now owns 1,973 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $1,125,000 after purchasing an additional 16 shares in the last quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Northrop Grumman by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 4,012 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $2,288,000 after purchasing an additional 16 shares in the last quarter. Golden State Equity Partners lifted its holdings in shares of Northrop Grumman by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Golden State Equity Partners now owns 1,337 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $762,000 after purchasing an additional 16 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nilsine Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Northrop Grumman by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Nilsine Partners LLC now owns 4,253 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $2,425,000 after purchasing an additional 17 shares in the last quarter. 83.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Northrop Grumman News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Shareholders approved Northrop Grumman’s board leadership and auditor at the 2026 Annual Meeting, signaling continued governance support and stability for management. Northrop Grumman Shareholders Back Board, Leadership and Auditor
• Positive Sentiment: The company announced a higher quarterly dividend of $2.47 per share, up 6.9% from the prior payout, which may support the stock for income-focused investors.
• Neutral Sentiment: Northrop Grumman said CEO Kathy Warden will present at Bernstein’s Strategic Decisions Conference on May 28; investors may watch for updates on strategy, guidance, and defense spending trends. Northrop Grumman to Participate in Bernstein’s 42nd Annual Strategic Decisions Conference
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage articles noted that NOC is still trading below recent levels after a pullback since its last earnings report, suggesting the market remains focused on whether valuation and future growth can justify a rebound. Northrop Grumman (NOC) Down 6.4% Since Last Earnings Report: Can It Rebound?
• Negative Sentiment: Recent commentary emphasized that Northrop Grumman’s share price has pulled back sharply over the past month and quarter, reflecting weaker momentum and investor caution around defense contractor valuations. A Look At Northrop Grumman (NOC) Valuation After Its Recent Share Price Pullback

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently issued reports on NOC shares. TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $660.00 target price on Northrop Grumman in a report on Sunday, April 26th. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on Northrop Grumman in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. They set an “overweight” rating and a $800.00 target price on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on Northrop Grumman from $715.00 to $750.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, UBS Group dropped their target price on Northrop Grumman from $806.00 to $745.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $704.74.

Northrop Grumman Stock Performance

NOC opened at $551.82 on Friday. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a 52-week low of $468.29 and a 52-week high of $774.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $78.38 billion, a PE ratio of 17.27, a PEG ratio of 3.77 and a beta of -0.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.15. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $640.14 and its 200 day simple moving average is $632.93.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The aerospace company reported $6.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.06 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $9.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.75 billion. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 24.72% and a net margin of 10.80%.Northrop Grumman’s revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $6.06 earnings per share. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2026 guidance at 27.400-27.900 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 27.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Northrop Grumman Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 1st will be given a dividend of $2.47 per share. This represents a $9.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.8%. This is a boost from Northrop Grumman’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.31. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 1st. Northrop Grumman’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.92%.

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.