Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-one brokerages that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $688.8947.

A number of analysts recently commented 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 research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Raymond James Financial reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Monday, June 15th. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and set a $815.00 price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on Northrop Grumman from $620.00 to $580.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Finally, UBS Group dropped their price target on Northrop Grumman from $806.00 to $745.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd.

Northrop Grumman Trading Down 0.9%

Shares of NYSE:NOC opened at $544.02 on Thursday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $542.88 and its 200 day moving average is $626.56. Northrop Grumman has a 1 year low of $493.84 and a 1 year high of $774.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $77.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.03, a P/E/G ratio of 3.74 and a beta of -0.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 1.15 and a quick ratio of 1.04.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The aerospace company reported $6.14 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 the consensus estimate of $9.75 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $6.06 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly 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. On average, research analysts predict that Northrop Grumman will post 27.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Northrop Grumman Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 17th. Investors of record on Monday, June 1st were issued a dividend of $2.47 per share. This represents a $9.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. This is a positive change 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 presently 30.92%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Northrop Grumman

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Kestra Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Northrop Grumman by 4.4% during the fourth quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC now owns 353 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $201,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares during the last quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 6.8% in the fourth quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 235 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $134,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares during the last quarter. Howard Financial Services LTD. grew its position in Northrop Grumman by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Howard Financial Services LTD. now owns 1,143 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $651,000 after purchasing an additional 16 shares during the period. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC grew its position in Northrop Grumman by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC now owns 1,973 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $1,125,000 after purchasing an additional 16 shares during the period. Finally, Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC raised its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 4,012 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $2,288,000 after buying an additional 16 shares during the last quarter. 83.40% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Northrop Grumman

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

• Positive Sentiment: NATO allies plan to acquire up to five Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton drones, with Norway, Finland, Germany and Denmark among the participating countries, highlighting new international demand for the company’s surveillance systems. Northrop Grumman (NOC) Wins NATO Backing For Up To Five Triton Drones
• Positive Sentiment: Northrop Grumman was also named as a top pick in billionaire Jeffrey Talpins’ filings, adding investor attention and signaling confidence in the defense contractor’s long-term prospects. Northrop Grumman Corporation (NOC) Is A Top Pick In Billionaire Talpins’ Filings
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent commentary says Northrop Grumman looks fairly priced after its strong multi-year run, suggesting the stock may have less obvious upside from valuation alone even as defense demand remains supportive. Northrop Grumman (NOC) Stock Looks Fairly Priced Following A 62% Run
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst updates have also pointed to cost and capital spending pressures, which may keep some investors cautious despite the company’s strong defense backlog and contract opportunities. Northrop Grumman (NOC) After Talpins Interest And Cost Concerns, Bargain Or Fairly Valued?
• Negative Sentiment: Some recent coverage suggests Northrop Grumman’s valuation is no longer deeply discounted, which could limit near-term upside if investors focus more on execution and margin pressures than on new contract wins. Northrop Grumman: Trump’s Betting On A More Dangerous World

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.