Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) Price Target Raised to $685.00

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) had its target price boosted by UBS Group from $666.00 to $685.00 in a research note released on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the aerospace company’s stock.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on NOC. Morgan Stanley set a $745.00 price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Susquehanna decreased their target price on Northrop Grumman from $785.00 to $655.00 and set a “positive” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Citigroup lowered their target price on Northrop Grumman from $628.00 to $587.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Raymond James Financial reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Monday, June 15th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on Northrop Grumman from $603.00 to $533.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $655.24.

Northrop Grumman Stock Performance

NOC opened at $542.09 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81. The company has a market cap of $76.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.22, a PEG ratio of 3.46 and a beta of -0.10. The company’s 50 day moving average is $535.81 and its 200 day moving average is $622.09. Northrop Grumman has a 12-month low of $479.02 and a 12-month high of $774.00.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The aerospace company reported $7.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.82 by $0.86. Northrop Grumman had a net margin of 10.48% and a return on equity of 24.25%. The company had revenue of $10.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.80 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $8.15 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.600-29.100 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Northrop Grumman will post 28.89 EPS for the current year.

Northrop Grumman Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 1st were paid a $2.47 dividend. This represents a $9.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend 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 was Monday, June 1st. Northrop Grumman’s dividend payout ratio is currently 31.39%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA raised its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 7.0% during the first quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 61,436 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $41,914,000 after acquiring an additional 4,041 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 13,740,721 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $7,835,097,000 after acquiring an additional 209,135 shares during the period. New York State Teachers Retirement System boosted its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman by 9.7% in the fourth quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System now owns 111,927 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $63,822,000 after acquiring an additional 9,924 shares during the period. Nordea Investment Management AB purchased a new stake in shares of Northrop Grumman during the fourth quarter worth about $1,987,000. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Northrop Grumman by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,149,478 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $1,793,478,000 after purchasing an additional 17,948 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.40% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Northrop Grumman

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

• Positive Sentiment: Northrop Grumman’s Q2 earnings beat expectations, and the company lifted its full-year sales guidance while highlighting strong contract wins and a record backlog, reinforcing the investment case for the stock. Is Northrop Grumman (NOC) Undervalued As Earnings Beat And Guidance Rise?
• Positive Sentiment: Broader defense sector strength is helping sentiment, with defense ETFs benefiting from higher military spending, solid quarterly results across peers, and rising geopolitical tensions that could support future demand. Defense ETFs in Focus Amid Earnings, Conflict and Military Spending
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles and analyst notes say Northrop Grumman may still be undervalued or better positioned than other industrial names, which supports investor interest after the earnings report. How Much Could a $5,000 Investment in SpaceX Be Worth By 2030? Here’s Why This Industrial Stock May Be a Better Buy Today.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain mixed, with UBS reportedly sticking to a Buy rating while TD Cowen and JPMorgan lowered price targets, suggesting expectations are still being recalibrated after earnings.
• Neutral Sentiment: Northrop Grumman also drew attention for its new robotic satellite servicing vehicle and mission extension pods, which may support long-term space systems growth but are not an immediate earnings driver. Northrop Grumman’s Mission Robotic Vehicle Launched Into Space; Operations Begin In 2027

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.