New York State Common Retirement Fund Decreases Position in Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC

New York State Common Retirement Fund trimmed its holdings in shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) by 5.7% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 175,266 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after selling 10,600 shares during the period. New York State Common Retirement Fund’s holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $106,793,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of NOC. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman by 176.3% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 2,970 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $1,394,000 after acquiring an additional 1,895 shares during the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC increased its stake in Northrop Grumman by 5.3% in the 4th quarter. Bison Wealth LLC now owns 641 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $301,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP lifted its position in Northrop Grumman by 367.7% in the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 2,516 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $1,288,000 after purchasing an additional 1,978 shares during the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman by 27.4% during the second quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 605 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $302,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the period. Finally, Capital Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Northrop Grumman by 1.0% in the second quarter. Capital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,049 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $1,025,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. 83.40% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Northrop Grumman

In other Northrop Grumman news, CEO Kathy J. Warden sold 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $615.00, for a total value of $1,845,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 191,602 shares in the company, valued at approximately $117,835,230. This represents a 1.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Mark A. Welsh III sold 97 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $564.08, for a total transaction of $54,715.76. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,281 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,414,826.48. This represents a 2.22% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 10,097 shares of company stock worth $6,099,716 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.23% of the company’s stock.

Northrop Grumman Stock Performance

Northrop Grumman stock opened at $693.95 on Friday. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $426.24 and a fifty-two week high of $705.45. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $597.08 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $587.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a current ratio of 1.10. The stock has a market cap of $98.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.82, a PEG ratio of 5.79 and a beta of 0.05.

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

Northrop Grumman Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 17th. Stockholders 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 dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 1st. Northrop Grumman’s payout ratio is 31.72%.

Northrop Grumman News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat, stronger margins, record backlog and cash flow — Northrop reported higher-than-expected EPS and revenue, expanded operating margin, produced strong free cash flow and a record backlog that supports future revenue visibility. Northrop Grumman posts higher quarterly profit
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts lifting forecasts and price targets — multiple firms have boosted earnings/price targets and reiterated buy ratings after the Q4 beat (notable increases cited by several outlets), providing near-term upside support. These Analysts Boost Their Forecasts On Northrop Grumman
• Positive Sentiment: Technical breakout / buy signal attracted capital — MarketBeat highlights a breakout from consolidation into new highs and says the move was confirmed after earnings, which has drawn momentum buyers and institutional inflows. Northrop Grumman Flashed a Buy Signal—And the Market Backed It Up
• Positive Sentiment: Contracts, partnerships and defense tailwinds — coverage notes new strategic contracts and global defense partnerships, and cites geopolitical demand as a driver for sustained revenue growth across segments. NOC Builds Momentum With Strategic Contracts
• Neutral Sentiment: Longer-term opportunity in advanced tech ecosystems — an analyst piece that highlights NOC as an enabler in quantum/advanced systems suggests multi-year structural growth, but the near-term revenue/earnings impact is uncertain. Quantum’s Next Winners? 3 Enablers
• Negative Sentiment: Cautious FY26 guidance disappointed some investors — management’s FY26 outlook came in below some expectations, which tempers near-term sentiment despite the Q4 beat. Q4 Beat, 2026 Outlook Disappoints
• Negative Sentiment: Buybacks paused to accelerate B‑21 production — management signaled pausing share repurchases while pursuing agreements to speed B‑21 output; this reduces one near-term shareholder-support mechanism even if it funds prioritized program delivery. Expect Agreement Soon To Accelerate B-21 Production; Pausing Buybacks

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on NOC shares. TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Wednesday. Susquehanna restated a “positive” rating and issued a $752.00 price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $710.00 target price for the company. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $765.00 target price on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Truist Financial reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $623.00 price target (down previously from $688.00) on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Northrop Grumman presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $688.72.

Northrop Grumman 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.