Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC Shares Bought by Wedbush Securities Inc.

Wedbush Securities Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) by 35.3% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 5,691 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,485 shares during the quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc.’s holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $3,467,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Coign Capital Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman by 1.3% in the 2nd quarter. Coign Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,294 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $647,000 after buying an additional 17 shares in the last quarter. Howard Financial Services LTD. grew its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 1.5% during the third quarter. Howard Financial Services LTD. now owns 1,127 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $687,000 after acquiring an additional 17 shares during the period. West Wealth Group LLC raised its position in Northrop Grumman by 4.3% in the third quarter. West Wealth Group LLC now owns 412 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $251,000 after acquiring an additional 17 shares in the last quarter. King Luther Capital Management Corp lifted its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 1.5% in the 2nd quarter. King Luther Capital Management Corp now owns 1,243 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $621,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA boosted its position in shares of Northrop Grumman by 6.9% during the 3rd quarter. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA now owns 278 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $169,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. 83.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Northrop Grumman Stock Performance

Shares of NOC stock opened at $679.37 on Thursday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $620.83 and its 200-day simple moving average is $597.31. The company has a market capitalization of $96.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.32, a P/E/G ratio of 5.09 and a beta of 0.04. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a 1-year low of $426.24 and a 1-year high of $715.61.

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

Northrop Grumman Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 11th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 23rd will be issued a dividend of $2.31 per share. This represents a $9.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 23rd. Northrop Grumman’s payout ratio is currently 31.72%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently commented on NOC. Susquehanna reiterated a “positive” rating and issued a $752.00 target price on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $765.00 price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. UBS Group raised their price objective on Northrop Grumman from $777.00 to $778.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Truist Financial reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $623.00 target price (down from $688.00) on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Vertical Research restated a “hold” rating and set a $688.00 price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $693.60.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Mark A. Welsh III sold 97 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $564.08, for a total transaction of $54,715.76. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 4,281 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,414,826.48. This trade represents a 2.22% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Kathy J. Warden sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $708.82, for a total value of $14,176,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 171,602 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $121,634,929.64. The trade was a 10.44% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 30,192 shares of company stock worth $20,341,145 over the last ninety days. 0.23% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Key Northrop Grumman News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Northrop Grumman and Polish partner plan a large ammunition plant to produce ~180,000 155mm artillery shells per year — a near-term manufacturing win that supports revenue, backlog and European defense industrialization efforts. This deal strengthens NOC’s exposure to NATO rearmament demand. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: The board declared a quarterly dividend of $2.31 per share (payable March 11; record Feb 23), signaling continued cash return and disciplined capital allocation — supportive for income-focused shareholders. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Management will present at Citi’s Global Industrial Tech & Mobility Conference (Feb 18). CEO Kathy Warden’s appearance — webcast to investors — provides an opportunity to reiterate strategy and guidance, but typically drives only short-term attention unless new guidance or contract detail is disclosed. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Kathy Warden sold 20,000 shares (filed as sale on Feb 6 at ~$708.82). Large insider sales can raise investor concern about timing or valuation even if pre-set, and may weigh on sentiment. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and growth questions: recent commentary (The Motley Fool) flags that NOC’s strong earnings beat is offset by guidance that implies low-to-mid single-digit sales growth and a high multiple on free cash flow — a potential headwind for investors focused on valuation and long-term growth. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory/headline risk: coverage notes potential penalties tied to Ukraine-related issues even as the company secures contracts in Japan — geopolitical or compliance developments could introduce downside volatility. Article Title

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.