Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio Cuts Stock Position in Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio decreased its position in shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) by 2.4% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 54,208 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after selling 1,329 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio’s holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $36,983,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Capital World Investors grew its position in Northrop Grumman by 39.4% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 3,434,041 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $1,958,151,000 after acquiring an additional 970,029 shares in the last quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP lifted its position in shares of Northrop Grumman by 56,920.9% during the fourth quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP now owns 421,955 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $240,603,000 after purchasing an additional 421,215 shares in the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC boosted its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman by 272.8% in the fourth quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 401,664 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $229,033,000 after purchasing an additional 293,909 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 13,740,721 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $7,835,097,000 after purchasing an additional 209,135 shares during the period. Finally, M&T Bank Corp grew its holdings in shares of Northrop Grumman by 1,086.5% in the fourth quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 192,583 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $109,813,000 after purchasing an additional 176,352 shares in the last quarter. 83.40% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Northrop Grumman Stock Up 1.6%

NOC stock opened at $542.09 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $535.81 and its 200 day moving average price is $622.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.17. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $479.02 and a fifty-two week high of $774.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $76.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.22, a PEG ratio of 3.46 and a beta of -0.10.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The aerospace company reported $7.68 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.82 by $0.86. Northrop Grumman had a net margin of 10.48% and a return on equity of 24.25%. The firm had revenue of $10.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $10.80 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $8.15 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.600-29.100 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 28.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Northrop Grumman Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 1st were issued a $2.47 dividend. This represents a $9.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 1st. This is a positive change from Northrop Grumman’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.31. Northrop Grumman’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 31.39%.

Northrop Grumman News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Northrop Grumman’s Q2 earnings beat expectations, and the company lifted its full-year sales guidance while highlighting strong contract wins and a record backlog, reinforcing the investment case for the stock. Is Northrop Grumman (NOC) Undervalued As Earnings Beat And Guidance Rise?
• Positive Sentiment: Broader defense sector strength is helping sentiment, with defense ETFs benefiting from higher military spending, solid quarterly results across peers, and rising geopolitical tensions that could support future demand. Defense ETFs in Focus Amid Earnings, Conflict and Military Spending
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles and analyst notes say Northrop Grumman may still be undervalued or better positioned than other industrial names, which supports investor interest after the earnings report. How Much Could a $5,000 Investment in SpaceX Be Worth By 2030? Here’s Why This Industrial Stock May Be a Better Buy Today.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain mixed, with UBS reportedly sticking to a Buy rating while TD Cowen and JPMorgan lowered price targets, suggesting expectations are still being recalibrated after earnings.
• Neutral Sentiment: Northrop Grumman also drew attention for its new robotic satellite servicing vehicle and mission extension pods, which may support long-term space systems growth but are not an immediate earnings driver. Northrop Grumman’s Mission Robotic Vehicle Launched Into Space; Operations Begin In 2027

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on NOC shares. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Monday, June 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Northrop Grumman from $635.00 to $600.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Northrop Grumman from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Citigroup cut their price objective on Northrop Grumman from $628.00 to $587.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $615.00 price objective on Northrop Grumman in a research report on Wednesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $655.24.

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.