Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) CEO Kathy Warden Sells 7,000 Shares

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) CEO Kathy Warden sold 7,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, January 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $600.00, for a total transaction of $4,200,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 194,602 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $116,761,200. This represents a 3.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Northrop Grumman Stock Down 5.7%

NOC opened at $575.95 on Thursday. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a 12 month low of $426.24 and a 12 month high of $640.90. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $569.13 and its 200-day moving average price is $570.54. The company has a market cap of $82.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.72, a P/E/G ratio of 5.07 and a beta of 0.05.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 21st. The aerospace company reported $7.67 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.43 by $1.24. The company had revenue of $10.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $10.68 billion. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 25.49% and a net margin of 9.82%.Northrop Grumman’s quarterly revenue was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $7.00 EPS. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2025 guidance at 25.650-26.050 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 28.05 EPS for the current year.

Northrop Grumman Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 17th. Investors of record on Monday, December 1st were issued a dividend of $2.31 per share. This represents a $9.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 1st. Northrop Grumman’s dividend payout ratio is currently 33.24%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently commented on NOC. BNP Paribas raised shares of Northrop Grumman to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $714.00 price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Susquehanna lifted their price objective on Northrop Grumman from $650.00 to $690.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Truist Financial upped their target price on Northrop Grumman from $625.00 to $688.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 15th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Northrop Grumman from $575.00 to $640.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $651.18.

More Northrop Grumman News

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

• Positive Sentiment: President Trump proposed a dramatic increase in 2027 defense spending, a tailwind for major contractors including Northrop if enacted; markets reacted to the budget upside for the sector. Trump proposes massive increase in 2027 defense spending to $1.5T
• Positive Sentiment: Northrop won a ~ $94.3 million Navy contract for rocket motors (SSRM), supporting near-term revenue and backlog in its propulsion/ordnance business. Northrop Grumman wins $94.3 million Navy contract for rocket motors
• Positive Sentiment: Technical/market commentary shows improving relative-strength metrics and positive momentum narratives, which can support investor interest ahead of Q4 results. Northrop Grumman Rising Toward New High With Fourth Quarter Earnings Up Next
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks Research issued multiple small, mixed EPS revisions across quarters and fiscal years — modest downgrades for some quarters and slight raises for others — leaving FY2027 outlook broadly steady but adding near-term estimate noise. MarketBeat NOC coverage (Zacks estimates)
• Negative Sentiment: President Trump signed an order and repeatedly said he will not permit dividends or buybacks for defense companies until they fix production issues — a direct threat to a major shareholder-return lever for Northrop and peers. That policy risk is a key driver of selling pressure. Trump signs order to block defense companies from buying back stock until arms production improves
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Kathy Warden disclosed recent sales of NOC shares (totaling several thousand shares across Jan. 5–6), which can be interpreted negatively by some investors given the timing amid policy headlines. SEC Form 4 — Kathy J. Warden
• Negative Sentiment: Market coverage noted immediate selling pressure on defense names after Trump’s warnings on buybacks/dividends, amplifying downside for Northrop in the intraday session. Northrop Grumman Stock Drops After Trump Warns Against Buybacks Over Investment

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Northrop Grumman

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in NOC. Parvin Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Northrop Grumman during the second quarter valued at $25,000. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman in the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. lifted its position in Northrop Grumman by 200.0% during the 3rd quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 48 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 32 shares during the period. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. bought a new stake in Northrop Grumman during the third quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, NewSquare Capital LLC boosted its stake in Northrop Grumman by 75.0% during the second quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 63 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. 83.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.