Principal Financial Group Inc. Purchases 2,729 Shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC

Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) by 1.7% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 161,687 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,729 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $110,309,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in Northrop Grumman in the 1st quarter worth about $30,000. Torren Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Northrop Grumman during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Karpus Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Northrop Grumman during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Northrop Grumman by 380.0% during the first quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 48 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. 83.40% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on NOC. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $815.00 target price on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Northrop Grumman from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on shares of Northrop Grumman from $620.00 to $580.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, June 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman from $603.00 to $533.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman from $628.00 to $587.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $676.29.

Trending Headlines about Northrop Grumman

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

• Positive Sentiment: Northrop Grumman broke ground on a new Utah facility tied to the Sentinel ICBM program and other advanced aerospace missions, reinforcing long-term defense spending demand and signaling continued investment in growth. Northrop Grumman Breaks Ground on New Facility to Support Strategic Deterrence and Advanced Aerospace Missions in Utah
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to view Northrop Grumman as a potential earnings beat ahead of its quarterly report, with expectations that the company has the right mix of factors to top estimates. Northrop Grumman (NOC) Expected to Beat Earnings Estimates: What to Know Ahead of Q2 Release
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley included Northrop Grumman in its top defense stock picks, suggesting institutional confidence in the name even as it highlighted broader upside in the sector. Morgan Stanley Picks Its Top Three Defense Stocks. One Has 100% Upside.
• Neutral Sentiment: Other articles reinforced the idea that defense contractors can benefit from long-term space and missile-defense spending, which supports the sector backdrop for NOC. Missed Out On The SpaceX IPO? Buy These Industrial Giants Instead.
• Neutral Sentiment: There was also coverage about BAE Systems expanding in radar, which highlights competitive activity in adjacent defense markets but does not directly change Northrop Grumman’s near-term outlook. Is BAE Systems Expanding Its Presence in the Radar Market?
• Negative Sentiment: At the same time, analysts trimmed Northrop Grumman’s fair value estimate and lowered price targets, pointing to more cautious expectations for near-term execution and upside. Northrop Grumman (NOC) Stock Fair Value Edges Lower As Analysts Trim Targets

Northrop Grumman Trading Down 0.5%

NOC stock opened at $525.96 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $74.70 billion, a PE ratio of 16.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.58 and a beta of -0.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.15. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a one year low of $493.84 and a one year high of $774.00. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $539.25 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $624.94.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 21st. The aerospace company reported $6.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.06 by $0.08. Northrop Grumman had a net margin of 10.80% and a return on equity of 24.72%. The company had revenue of $9.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.75 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $6.06 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2026 guidance at 27.400-27.900 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 27.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Northrop Grumman Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 1st were given a dividend of $2.47 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 1st. This is a positive change from Northrop Grumman’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.31. This represents a $9.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. Northrop Grumman’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.92%.

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.