Bradley Foster & Sargent Inc. CT Trims Stake in Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC

Bradley Foster & Sargent Inc. CT reduced its position in shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) by 1.3% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 91,815 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after selling 1,171 shares during the quarter. Bradley Foster & Sargent Inc. CT’s holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $62,640,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 176.3% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 2,970 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $1,394,000 after buying an additional 1,895 shares during the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC increased its stake in Northrop Grumman by 5.3% during the 4th quarter. Bison Wealth LLC now owns 641 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $301,000 after buying an additional 32 shares in the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP raised its holdings in shares of Northrop Grumman by 367.7% during the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 2,516 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $1,288,000 after acquiring an additional 1,978 shares during the last quarter. AXA S.A. raised its holdings in shares of Northrop Grumman by 1,487.8% during the second quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 16,338 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $8,169,000 after acquiring an additional 15,309 shares during the last quarter. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Northrop Grumman by 6.7% in the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 8,865 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $4,432,000 after acquiring an additional 553 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.40% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on NOC shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Northrop Grumman from $635.00 to $600.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. 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 research note on Friday, June 26th. Wells Fargo & Company restated an “overweight” rating and set a $620.00 price target on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman from $666.00 to $685.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $815.00 price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Northrop Grumman currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $655.24.

Northrop Grumman Price Performance

Northrop Grumman stock opened at $542.09 on Friday. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a 12-month low of $479.02 and a 12-month high of $774.00. The stock has a market cap of $76.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.22, a PEG ratio of 3.52 and a beta of -0.10. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $535.81 and a 200 day moving average price of $622.09. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The aerospace company reported $7.68 earnings per share 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.80 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $8.15 EPS. Northrop Grumman’s revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.600-29.100 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 28.98 earnings per share for the current year.

Northrop Grumman Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 1st were given a dividend of $2.47 per share. This represents a $9.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 1st. This is a boost from Northrop Grumman’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.31. Northrop Grumman’s dividend payout ratio is presently 31.39%.

Key Northrop Grumman News

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 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.