Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) Director Mark Welsh III Sells 95 Shares of Stock

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) Director Mark Welsh III sold 95 shares of the firm’s 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 sale, the director 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Northrop Grumman Stock Performance

NYSE NOC opened at $551.45 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81. The business’s 50 day moving average is $534.43 and its two-hundred day moving average is $618.70. The stock has a market capitalization of $78.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.52, a PEG ratio of 3.55 and a beta of -0.11. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a 12-month low of $479.02 and a 12-month high of $774.00.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The aerospace company reported $7.68 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.82 by $0.86. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 24.25% and a net margin of 10.48%.The firm had revenue of $10.88 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.80 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $8.15 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter 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. Research analysts expect that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 28.97 EPS for the current year.

Northrop Grumman Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 1st were given a dividend of $2.47 per share. This represents a $9.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 1st. This is an increase from Northrop Grumman’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.31. Northrop Grumman’s payout ratio is presently 31.39%.

Key Northrop Grumman News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Northrop Grumman entered into multi-year framework agreements valued at more than $3 billion to accelerate production of missile-interceptor components for PAC-3 MSE and THAAD systems. The agreements should improve production visibility and support demand from the United States and allied defense customers. Northrop Grumman Enters Into $3 Billion Landmark Agreements to Accelerate Missile Interceptor Production
• Positive Sentiment: The U.S. Defense Department selected Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman to expand missile-interceptor production capacity. The government-backed effort reinforces the strategic importance of Northrop’s missile-defense business and could lead to additional orders as the U.S. replenishes weapon inventories. US signs deal to boost production of missile-interceptor parts
• Neutral Sentiment: Director Mark A. Welsh III sold 95 shares for approximately $52,000, reducing his holdings by 2.12%. Because the transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan and represents a small portion of his remaining ownership, it is less significant as a bearish signal.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts collectively maintain a “Moderate Buy” recommendation on NOC, indicating generally favorable sentiment but not a strong consensus upgrade. Northrop Grumman Corporation Receives Average Recommendation of Moderate Buy from Analysts

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman from $635.00 to $600.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their target price on shares of Northrop Grumman from $620.00 to $580.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, June 26th. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $620.00 price target on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $615.00 price target on Northrop Grumman in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Northrop Grumman from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, April 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $659.00.

Institutional Trading of Northrop Grumman

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of NOC. Everett Harris & Co. CA purchased a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $674,000. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Northrop Grumman in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $443,000. First Community Trust NA acquired a new stake in Northrop Grumman during the 2nd quarter valued at $40,000. Regent Peak Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 9.5% during the 2nd quarter. Regent Peak Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 482 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $245,000 after buying an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Investors Research Corp increased its position in Northrop Grumman by 3,460.0% during the second quarter. Investors Research Corp now owns 890 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $453,000 after buying an additional 865 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.40% of the company’s stock.

About Northrop Grumman

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.