Northrop Grumman Co. (NYSE:NOC) Shares Bought by Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management

Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management increased its position in Northrop Grumman Co. (NYSE:NOC) by 8.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 847 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the period. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management’s holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $397,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in Northrop Grumman by 3.5% during the 3rd quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 18,671 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $8,219,000 after purchasing an additional 637 shares during the period. NBT Bank N A NY purchased a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman during the third quarter worth about $368,000. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC acquired a new position in Northrop Grumman in the 3rd quarter valued at about $221,000. Park Avenue Securities LLC purchased a new stake in Northrop Grumman during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $2,564,000. Finally, Gratus Capital LLC lifted its position in Northrop Grumman by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Gratus Capital LLC now owns 2,038 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $897,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares during the period. 83.40% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Northrop Grumman Stock Down 0.5 %

NOC opened at $471.37 on Thursday. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $465.45 and its 200 day simple moving average is $465.24. Northrop Grumman Co. has a 52 week low of $414.56 and a 52 week high of $496.89. The firm has a market cap of $69.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.96, a PEG ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 25th. The aerospace company reported $6.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $5.83 by $0.49. The business had revenue of $10.13 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.77 billion. Northrop Grumman had a net margin of 5.38% and a return on equity of 24.09%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $5.50 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Northrop Grumman Co. will post 24.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Northrop Grumman Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 13th. Investors of record on Monday, February 26th were given a dividend of $1.87 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 23rd. This represents a $7.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.59%. Northrop Grumman’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 52.31%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP Kathryn G. Simpson sold 711 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $453.22, for a total value of $322,239.42. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 2,024 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $917,317.28. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, CAO Michael A. Hardesty sold 210 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $454.68, for a total transaction of $95,482.80. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 3,127 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,421,784.36. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Kathryn G. Simpson sold 711 shares of Northrop Grumman stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $453.22, for a total transaction of $322,239.42. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 2,024 shares in the company, valued at $917,317.28. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 3,149 shares of company stock valued at $1,421,147. Insiders own 0.22% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

NOC has been the subject of several recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Northrop Grumman from $483.00 to $518.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 30th. Susquehanna increased their price target on shares of Northrop Grumman from $540.00 to $560.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a report on Friday, April 26th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on Northrop Grumman from $475.00 to $505.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, April 26th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on Northrop Grumman from $450.00 to $475.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Friday, April 26th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Northrop Grumman from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 26th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $509.38.

Northrop Grumman Company Profile

Northrop Grumman Corporation operates as an aerospace and defense technology company in the United States, Asia/Pacific, Europe, and internationally. The company's Aeronautics Systems segment designs, develops, manufactures, integrates, and sustains aircraft systems. This segment also offers unmanned autonomous aircraft systems, including high-altitude long-endurance strategic ISR systems and vertical take-off and landing tactical ISR systems; and strategic long-range strike aircraft, tactical fighter and air dominance aircraft, and airborne battle management and command and control systems.