Benjamin Davies Sells 2,189 Shares of Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) Stock

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) VP Benjamin Davies sold 2,189 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $719.61, for a total transaction of $1,575,226.29. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 151 shares in the company, valued at $108,661.11. This represents a 93.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Northrop Grumman Stock Performance

NYSE:NOC opened at $722.73 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. The company has a market capitalization of $102.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.47 and a beta of 0.04. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $642.66 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $603.67. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a twelve month low of $437.83 and a twelve month high of $745.55.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The aerospace company reported $7.23 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.97 by $0.26. Northrop Grumman had a net margin of 9.97% and a return on equity of 25.57%. The business had revenue of $11.71 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.61 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $6.39 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2026 guidance at 27.400-27.900 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 28.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Northrop Grumman Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 11th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 23rd will be given a $2.31 dividend. This represents a $9.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 23rd. Northrop Grumman’s dividend payout ratio is currently 31.72%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Northrop Grumman

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of NOC. Focused Investors LLC grew its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman by 4.1% in the third quarter. Focused Investors LLC now owns 211,800 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $129,054,000 after buying an additional 8,300 shares in the last quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC lifted its position in Northrop Grumman by 74.5% during the 3rd quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 11,060 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $6,739,000 after acquiring an additional 4,721 shares in the last quarter. Huntleigh Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Northrop Grumman in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $2,818,000. Oak Thistle LLC acquired a new stake in Northrop Grumman in the third quarter valued at approximately $1,015,000. Finally, Mawer Investment Management Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Northrop Grumman during the second quarter valued at approximately $491,985,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.40% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

NOC has been the subject of several analyst reports. TD Cowen reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Argus set a $785.00 price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. BTIG Research upped their price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman from $680.00 to $815.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. BNP Paribas Exane assumed coverage on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $710.00 target price for the company. Finally, Bank of America boosted their price target on Northrop Grumman from $685.00 to $750.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $693.60.

About Northrop Grumman

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.