Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC Shares Purchased by Provident Investment Management Inc.

Provident Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) by 49.5% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 3,127 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,035 shares during the quarter. Provident Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $1,512,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in Northrop Grumman during the first quarter valued at $30,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman by 380.0% in the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 48 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Perkins Coie Trust Co purchased a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman in the 2nd quarter worth $29,000. Plato Investment Management Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Northrop Grumman in the 2nd quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Navigoe LLC bought a new stake in shares of Northrop Grumman in the 2nd quarter worth about $30,000. Institutional investors own 83.40% of the company’s stock.

Northrop Grumman Stock Down 0.0%

Shares of NOC opened at $551.38 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The business has a fifty day moving average of $521.15 and a 200 day moving average of $546.89. The company has a market cap of $78.33 billion, a PE ratio of 17.39, a P/E/G ratio of 3.02 and a beta of -0.11. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a 52-week low of $470.06 and a 52-week high of $774.00.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 20th. The aerospace company reported $7.89 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.18 by $0.71. Northrop Grumman had a net margin of 10.37% and a return on equity of 23.46%. The business had revenue of $11.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $11.14 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $7.67 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 29.53 EPS for the current year.

Northrop Grumman Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity at Northrop Grumman

In related news, Director Mark Welsh, III sold 95 shares of Northrop Grumman stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the director directly owned 4,393 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,405,299.29. The trade was a 2.12% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Corporate insiders own 0.21% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently issued reports on NOC shares. Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their target price on shares of Northrop Grumman from $620.00 to $556.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 14th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Northrop Grumman from $745.00 to $765.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday. TD Cowen dropped their price target on Northrop Grumman from $590.00 to $540.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 9th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on Northrop Grumman from $694.00 to $698.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane upped their price objective on Northrop Grumman from $540.00 to $600.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 21st. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $642.04.

More Northrop Grumman News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst targets remain supportive. Robert W. Baird upgraded NOC from “hold” to “outperform” and raised its price target to $675 from $550, implying substantial upside. BNP Paribas Exane also expects the stock to appreciate, while Guggenheim initiated or reiterated a “buy” rating. Baird upgrade BNP Paribas Exane outlook Guggenheim buy rating
• Positive Sentiment: Backlog and margins are key bullish themes. A review of third-quarter results highlighted a $109.6 billion backlog and signs of a potential margin inflection, supporting longer-term revenue visibility and earnings growth. Northrop Grumman Q3 backlog analysis
• Positive Sentiment: Recent results exceeded expectations. NOC reported quarterly EPS of $7.89 versus the $7.18 consensus estimate, with revenue up 6.7% year over year. Fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $29.35–$29.75 is also above consensus, reinforcing the earnings-growth case.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst opinion is mixed. RBC Capital assigned a “hold” rating even as a separate RBC forecast pointed to strong potential appreciation. This divergence may encourage investors to take profits following the recent rally. RBC hold rating
• Negative Sentiment: Margin pressure remains a risk. Commentary on NOC and other defense contractors noted that strong backlogs and guidance improvements are accompanied by margin pressures and paused buybacks, which could weigh on near-term valuation.

Northrop Grumman Company Profile

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.