ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc. Sells 2,997 Shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC

ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc. cut its stake in Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) by 3.0% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 97,536 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after selling 2,997 shares during the period. Northrop Grumman accounts for about 2.0% of ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 17th largest position. ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $55,616,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in Northrop Grumman in the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. grew its stake in Northrop Grumman by 200.0% in the 3rd quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 48 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 32 shares in the last quarter. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. bought a new position in Northrop Grumman in the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new position in Northrop Grumman in the 3rd quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, Wexford Capital LP bought a new position in Northrop Grumman in the 3rd quarter worth about $33,000. 83.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Northrop Grumman

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

• Positive Sentiment: B-21 Raider flight test acceleration: Northrop reports successful aerial refueling, multiple sorties with strong reliability, and a $5+ billion investment in digital/manufacturing infrastructure to speed production and deliver first aircraft to Ellsworth AFB in 2027 — a clear upside for future revenue and long-term defense backlog. Northrop Grumman’s B-21 Raider Powers Unmatched Long-Range Strike Capability
• Positive Sentiment: Sentinel ICBM program momentum: Company and USAF updates show accelerated development toward a 2027 first flight and early-2030s initial capability, reinforcing NOC’s role in high-priority modernization programs and supporting sustained funding visibility. Northrop Grumman and U.S. Air Force Accelerate Sentinel Program Momentum
• Neutral Sentiment: Pre-earnings setup: Multiple previews (Zacks/Yahoo) expect NOC to post growing EPS and position it for another potential beat based on backlog and defense demand; this sets expectations heading into the quarterly release next week. Northrop Grumman (NOC) Earnings Expected to Grow: What to Know Ahead of Next Week’s Release
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling and institutional rebalancing: QuiverQuant data highlights multiple insider sales in recent months and large hedge-fund/institutional position changes (some sizeable reductions), which can sap near-term investor confidence. Northrop Grumman’s B-21 Raider Demonstrates Advanced Capabilities as Flight Testing Accelerates
• Negative Sentiment: Cost and margin risks: Analysts and previews warn that B-21 program scale-up and higher R&D/production spending could pressure near-term margins despite revenue tailwinds—an important risk for the upcoming quarter. Northrop Grumman to Post Q1 Earnings: What’s in Store for the Stock?

Northrop Grumman Stock Performance

Shares of NOC stock opened at $679.95 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $96.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.34, a PEG ratio of 4.82 and a beta of 0.04. The company’s 50 day moving average is $709.81 and its 200 day moving average is $637.42. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a 52-week low of $450.13 and a 52-week high of $774.00.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The aerospace company reported $7.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.97 by $0.26. Northrop Grumman had a net margin of 9.97% and a return on equity of 25.57%. The company had revenue of $11.71 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.61 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $6.39 earnings per share. Northrop Grumman’s revenue was up 9.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2026 guidance at 27.400-27.900 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 28.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Northrop Grumman Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 11th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 23rd were issued a $2.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 23rd. This represents a $9.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. Northrop Grumman’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 31.72%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Northrop Grumman news, CEO Kathy J. Warden sold 20,000 shares of Northrop Grumman stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $708.82, for a total value of $14,176,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 171,602 shares in the company, valued at $121,634,929.64. The trade was a 10.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Mark A. Welsh III sold 95 shares of Northrop Grumman stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $684.52, for a total value of $65,029.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 4,203 shares in the company, valued at $2,877,037.56. This trade represents a 2.21% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 22,431 shares of company stock valued at $15,924,404. 0.23% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

NOC has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Susquehanna reissued a “positive” rating and issued a $752.00 price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Truist Financial reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $623.00 price objective (down from $688.00) on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on Northrop Grumman in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. They set an “overweight” rating and a $800.00 price target on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on Northrop Grumman from $690.00 to $710.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price target on Northrop Grumman from $777.00 to $778.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $719.58.

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.