Ascentis Independent Advisors Purchases 1,909 Shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC

Ascentis Independent Advisors boosted its position in shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) by 142.8% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,246 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after buying an additional 1,909 shares during the period. Ascentis Independent Advisors’ holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $2,215,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in NOC. Torren Management LLC purchased a new stake in Northrop Grumman during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Karpus Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Northrop Grumman during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Financial Life Planners purchased a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Motiv8 Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Institutional investors own 83.40% of the company’s stock.

Northrop Grumman Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of NYSE:NOC opened at $547.06 on Tuesday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $544.85 and its 200 day moving average is $626.92. The stock has a market cap of $77.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.74 and a beta of -0.10. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a 52-week low of $493.84 and a 52-week high of $774.00. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The aerospace company reported $6.14 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.06 by $0.08. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 24.72% and a net margin of 10.80%.The business had revenue of $9.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.75 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $6.06 EPS. Northrop Grumman’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. Sell-side analysts predict that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 27.95 EPS for the current year.

Northrop Grumman Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 1st were issued a $2.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 1st. This represents a $9.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.8%. This is an increase from Northrop Grumman’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.31. Northrop Grumman’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.92%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and issued a $815.00 price target on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. UBS Group cut their price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman from $806.00 to $745.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $800.00 target price on the stock. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of Northrop Grumman from $765.00 to $745.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Northrop Grumman from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Thursday, June 18th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $698.37.

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.