Davis R M Inc. Cuts Stock Position in Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC

Davis R M Inc. cut its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) by 7.3% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 59,479 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after selling 4,671 shares during the period. Davis R M Inc.’s holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $36,242,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Northrop Grumman by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 13,531,586 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $8,245,066,000 after purchasing an additional 109,941 shares during the last quarter. Soundwatch Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Northrop Grumman during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $6,457,274,000. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Northrop Grumman by 0.5% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,115,519 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $1,554,299,000 after buying an additional 14,980 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Northrop Grumman by 11.8% during the second quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 2,933,061 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $1,466,472,000 after acquiring an additional 308,680 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its position in shares of Northrop Grumman by 26.7% in the third quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 1,051,226 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $640,534,000 after acquiring an additional 221,431 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.40% of the company’s stock.

Northrop Grumman Stock Performance

NYSE:NOC opened at $725.81 on Monday. The company’s 50-day moving average is $657.85 and its two-hundred day moving average is $608.68. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a 1-year low of $450.13 and a 1-year high of $745.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 1.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $103.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.92, a PEG ratio of 5.38 and a beta of 0.03.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The aerospace company reported $7.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.97 by $0.26. Northrop Grumman had a net margin of 9.97% and a return on equity of 25.57%. The business had revenue of $11.71 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.61 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $6.39 EPS. The business’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. Analysts forecast that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 28.05 EPS for the current year.

Northrop Grumman Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 11th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 23rd will be issued a dividend of $2.31 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 23rd. This represents a $9.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Northrop Grumman’s dividend payout ratio is currently 31.72%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Kathy J. Warden sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $708.82, for a total value of $14,176,400.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 171,602 shares in the company, valued at approximately $121,634,929.64. The trade was a 10.44% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP Benjamin R. Davies sold 2,189 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $719.61, for a total transaction of $1,575,226.29. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 151 shares in the company, valued at $108,661.11. The trade was a 93.55% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 32,431 shares of company stock valued at $21,969,404 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.23% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

NOC has been the subject of several research reports. TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Alembic Global Advisors raised shares of Northrop Grumman from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $662.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $765.00 target price on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of Northrop Grumman from $630.00 to $690.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, February 1st. Finally, Vertical Research restated a “hold” rating and set a $688.00 price target on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Northrop Grumman currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $693.60.

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.