17,378 Shares in Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC Acquired by Bcwm LLC

Bcwm LLC bought a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm bought 17,378 shares of the aerospace company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,851,000. Northrop Grumman makes up approximately 2.6% of Bcwm LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 15th largest holding.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA lifted its stake in Northrop Grumman by 7.0% in 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 buying an additional 4,041 shares during the last quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System grew its position in shares of Northrop Grumman by 9.7% during 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 last quarter. 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 acquiring an additional 17,948 shares during the last quarter. World Investment Advisors increased its holdings in shares of Northrop Grumman by 70.1% in the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 4,497 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $2,564,000 after acquiring an additional 1,853 shares during the period. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Northrop Grumman by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 158,958 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $90,639,000 after acquiring an additional 2,025 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.40% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

NOC has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $653.00 price target on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped 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 note on Tuesday, July 14th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $615.00 target price on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Northrop Grumman from $666.00 to $685.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $745.00 price target on Northrop Grumman in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $661.30.

Northrop Grumman News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Northrop Grumman expects to win a “decent share” of the potentially massive Golden Dome missile-defense program. CEO Kathy Warden’s comments reinforce the company’s positioning in space-based defense, although contracts and award values have not yet been finalized. Northrop Grumman expects decent share of Golden Dome missile defense
• Positive Sentiment: The company is expanding its international defense business as allied nations increase military spending. International sales are rising, and management is targeting approximately $10 billion in annual international revenue by 2031, suggesting a potential long-term growth avenue beyond U.S. government demand. Is Northrop Grumman Expanding Its International Defense Business?
• Positive Sentiment: Management says Northrop is operating on a “wartime footing,” while geopolitical tensions and active conflicts are driving a global defense-spending boom. That backdrop could support demand for the company’s missile, space and other defense platforms. Northrop Grumman Is on a Wartime Footing, CEO Says
• Neutral Sentiment: Northrop Grumman maintained its quarterly dividend at $2.47 per share, payable September 16 to shareholders of record August 31. The steady payout supports income-focused investors, but the absence of a new increase provides little incremental catalyst. NOC Steady at $2.47: A Closer Look at Northrop Grumman Corporation’s Dividend Discipline
• Neutral Sentiment: A $1.55 billion U.S. rare-earth initiative could benefit defense contractors by strengthening strategic-material supply chains, but the direct financial effect on Northrop Grumman remains unclear. Why Trump’s $1.55 billion rare earth move matters for Northrop Grumman

Insider Transactions at Northrop Grumman

In related news, Director Mark A. Welsh III sold 95 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $547.53, for a total value of $52,015.35. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 4,393 shares in the company, valued at $2,405,299.29. This trade represents a 2.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.21% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Northrop Grumman Price Performance

Shares of NYSE NOC opened at $550.61 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $541.40 and a 200 day moving average price of $606.36. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a 1-year low of $479.02 and a 1-year high of $774.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.17 and a quick ratio of 1.06. The company has a market cap of $78.20 billion, a PE ratio of 17.49, a P/E/G ratio of 3.51 and a beta of -0.11.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $10.80 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $8.15 EPS. Northrop Grumman’s 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. Sell-side analysts forecast that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 28.97 EPS for the current year.

Northrop Grumman Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Investors of record on Monday, August 31st will be issued a dividend of $2.47 per share. This represents a $9.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 31st. Northrop Grumman’s dividend payout ratio is currently 31.39%.

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.