Northrop Grumman Corporation (NOC) – What Are Investment Firms Saying About This Stock?

Shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) have received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-five ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, nine have assigned a hold recommendation and fifteen have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $641.35.

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on NOC shares. Guggenheim boosted their price target on Northrop Grumman from $612.00 to $640.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Citigroup raised their price objective on Northrop Grumman from $617.00 to $667.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Robert W. Baird set a $675.00 price objective on Northrop Grumman and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Rothschild & Co Redburn initiated coverage on Northrop Grumman in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $680.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, UBS Group boosted their target price on Northrop Grumman from $694.00 to $698.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday.

More Northrop Grumman News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 earnings beat estimates: Adjusted earnings were $7.89 per share, above the roughly $7.18–$7.22 consensus, while revenue rose 6.7% year over year to $11.12 billion, broadly matching expectations. Reuters earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Guidance was raised: NOC now expects fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS of $29.35–$29.75, above the approximately $28.97 consensus. Revenue guidance of $43.8 billion–$44.3 billion is centered near Wall Street expectations. Northrop Grumman financial results
• Positive Sentiment: Record backlog supports visibility: Backlog reached approximately $109.6 billion, or about $110 billion, up roughly 20% year over year. Third-quarter awards totaled $16.4 billion, and management cited strong demand across defense and space programs.
• Positive Sentiment: Longer-term growth outlook improved: Management is targeting 5%–7% sales growth in 2027, supported by B-21 investments, while sales increased across all four operating segments in the latest quarter. Q3 earnings call highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment strengthened: BNP Paribas Exane raised its target to $600 and assigned an “outperform” rating; Baird reportedly lifted its target to $675 and upgraded the shares. These revisions reinforce the view that the recent pullback may offer valuation support. Analyst price target revisions
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors continue to view NOC as an income-oriented defense stock backed by long-term Pentagon contracts, but the stock remains down about 17% year to date, keeping valuation and dividend sustainability central to the investment case.
• Negative Sentiment: Higher capital spending, potential margin pressure, paused buybacks, and uncertainty over future defense budgets could limit near-term upside despite the record backlog.

Northrop Grumman Stock Up 1.0%

Shares of NYSE NOC opened at $539.46 on Friday. Northrop Grumman has a 52-week low of $470.06 and a 52-week high of $774.00. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $522.28 and a 200-day moving average of $548.98. The stock has a market capitalization of $76.62 billion, a PE ratio of 17.02, a P/E/G ratio of 3.05 and a beta of -0.11. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 20th. The aerospace company reported $7.89 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.18 by $0.71. The business had revenue of $11.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.14 billion. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 23.46% and a net margin of 10.37%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $7.67 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Northrop Grumman will post 29.55 EPS for the current year.

Northrop Grumman Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Investors of record on Monday, August 31st were issued a $2.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 31st. This represents a $9.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.8%. Northrop Grumman’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 31.17%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Northrop Grumman news, Director Mark Welsh, III sold 95 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $547.53, for a total transaction of $52,015.35. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 4,393 shares in the company, valued at $2,405,299.29. The trade was a 2.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.21% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Northrop Grumman

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Flavin Financial Services Inc. lifted its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 9.9% in the third quarter. Flavin Financial Services Inc. now owns 2,911 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $1,407,000 after acquiring an additional 263 shares during the last quarter. Vest Financial LLC boosted its stake in Northrop Grumman by 33.7% in the third quarter. Vest Financial LLC now owns 830 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $401,000 after acquiring an additional 209 shares during the period. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Northrop Grumman by 32.8% in the third quarter. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,174 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $568,000 after acquiring an additional 290 shares during the period. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. boosted its stake in Northrop Grumman by 14.3% in the third quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 1,101 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $532,000 after acquiring an additional 138 shares during the period. Finally, Oxler Private Wealth LLC grew its holdings in shares of Northrop Grumman by 0.4% during the third quarter. Oxler Private Wealth LLC now owns 7,114 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $3,439,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.40% of the company’s stock.

About Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) is a global aerospace and defense company that develops and produces systems for government and commercial customers, with the U.S. government representing its primary customer base. The company operates across aerospace, defense, space, cybersecurity and advanced technology markets.

Its products and services include military aircraft and autonomous systems, space systems and satellites, missile defense technologies, command-and-control systems, cyber solutions, sensors, communications networks and other mission-critical systems.