Foster & Motley Inc. Has $1.55 Million Holdings in Northrop Grumman Co. (NYSE:NOC)

Foster & Motley Inc. cut its position in Northrop Grumman Co. (NYSE:NOC) by 3.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,300 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after selling 109 shares during the quarter. Foster & Motley Inc.’s holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $1,545,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Northrop Grumman in the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. Providence Capital Advisors LLC grew its position in Northrop Grumman by 400.0% in the 3rd quarter. Providence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 100 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Mizuho Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Northrop Grumman in the 3rd quarter worth $70,000. Rational Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Northrop Grumman during the 3rd quarter valued at about $72,000. Finally, Venturi Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Northrop Grumman by 16.2% during the 3rd quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 165 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $73,000 after acquiring an additional 23 shares in the last quarter. 83.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Northrop Grumman Price Performance

Shares of NOC stock opened at $474.40 on Wednesday. Northrop Grumman Co. has a 1 year low of $414.56 and a 1 year high of $496.89. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $460.67 and its 200-day moving average is $465.48. The firm has a market capitalization of $70.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.19, a PEG ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a current ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 25th. The aerospace company reported $6.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.80 by $0.47. Northrop Grumman had a net margin of 5.23% and a return on equity of 23.07%. The company had revenue of $10.64 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.43 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $7.50 earnings per share. Northrop Grumman’s quarterly revenue was up 6.0% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that Northrop Grumman Co. will post 24.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Northrop Grumman Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 13th. Investors of record on Monday, February 26th were issued a $1.87 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 23rd. This represents a $7.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.58%. Northrop Grumman’s dividend payout ratio is currently 55.49%.

Insider Activity at Northrop Grumman

In related news, CAO Michael A. Hardesty sold 955 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $450.37, for a total value of $430,103.35. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 4,137 shares in the company, valued at $1,863,180.69. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other Northrop Grumman news, CAO Michael A. Hardesty sold 210 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $454.68, for a total value 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 $1,421,784.36. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CAO Michael A. Hardesty sold 955 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $450.37, for a total transaction of $430,103.35. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 4,137 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,863,180.69. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 3,149 shares of company stock worth $1,421,147 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.22% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

NOC has been the topic of several recent research reports. StockNews.com lowered shares of Northrop Grumman from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, January 29th. Susquehanna decreased their target price on shares of Northrop Grumman from $560.00 to $540.00 and set a “positive” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 26th. Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on shares of Northrop Grumman from $505.00 to $475.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 26th. TheStreet lowered shares of Northrop Grumman from a “b+” rating to a “c+” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 25th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $450.00 price target (down from $515.00) on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Friday, January 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $497.23.

Northrop Grumman 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.