Meeder Asset Management Inc. Decreases Position in Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC

Meeder Asset Management Inc. trimmed its position in Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) by 12.0% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 21,944 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after selling 2,984 shares during the quarter. Northrop Grumman comprises about 0.9% of Meeder Asset Management Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 26th biggest holding. Meeder Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $14,971,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Torren Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Karpus Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Northrop Grumman during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Northrop Grumman during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Financial Life Planners acquired a new position in Northrop Grumman in the 1st quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Motiv8 Investments LLC acquired a new position in Northrop Grumman in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. 83.40% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Northrop Grumman News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Defense stocks are benefiting from a broader sector rally as investors respond to expectations for stronger U.S. military spending, including a proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget backdrop. Northrop Grumman rises as defense-spending tailwinds and program momentum lift sentiment
• Positive Sentiment: Investor attention is building ahead of Northrop Grumman’s July 21 Q2 results, with a strong backlog and government contract momentum expected to support the quarter. Northrop Grumman to Post Q2 Earnings: Here’s What to Expect
• Positive Sentiment: Recent program news, including work tied to Sentinel infrastructure, is reinforcing the long-term growth story for strategic deterrence and aerospace missions. Northrop Grumman Planning To Add Hundreds Of Jobs For Sentinel
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary remains mixed-to-positive, with recent coverage focused on key earnings metrics and margin sensitivity, especially around the Sentinel program.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider trading data shows no open-market insider buying in the last six months, while several executives have sold shares, which may temper some enthusiasm.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

NOC has been the topic of several recent research reports. TD Cowen lowered their target price on shares of Northrop Grumman from $680.00 to $580.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Northrop Grumman from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 25th. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Northrop Grumman from $628.00 to $587.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Morgan Stanley set a $745.00 price target on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $815.00 price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $676.29.

Northrop Grumman Stock Performance

Shares of Northrop Grumman stock opened at $523.19 on Monday. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $538.07 and its 200 day moving average price is $624.13. The company has a market cap of $74.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.38, a PEG ratio of 3.53 and a beta of -0.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.15. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a one year low of $493.84 and a one year high of $774.00.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The aerospace company reported $6.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.06 by $0.08. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 24.72% and a net margin of 10.80%.The company had revenue of $9.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.75 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $6.06 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2026 guidance at 27.400-27.900 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 27.95 EPS for the current year.

Northrop Grumman Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 17th. Investors of record on Monday, June 1st were given a dividend of $2.47 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 1st. This is an increase from Northrop Grumman’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.31. This represents a $9.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. Northrop Grumman’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.92%.

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.