Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC Holdings Lowered by Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A.

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. reduced its stake in Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) by 8.7% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 20,095 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after selling 1,925 shares during the period. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A.’s holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $12,235,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in NOC. Parvin Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Northrop Grumman in the second quarter worth approximately $25,000. Financial Life Planners acquired a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman during the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Northrop Grumman by 200.0% during the 3rd quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 48 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares during the period. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Northrop Grumman in the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Northrop Grumman in the second quarter valued at $31,000. 83.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Northrop Grumman Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE NOC opened at $733.88 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. The stock has a market capitalization of $104.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.19, a PEG ratio of 5.45 and a beta of 0.03. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $691.50 and its 200 day simple moving average is $619.81. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a 52-week low of $450.13 and a 52-week high of $774.00.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) last announced its 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 return on equity of 25.57% and a net margin of 9.97%.The company had revenue of $11.71 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.61 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $6.39 earnings per share. Northrop Grumman’s revenue for the quarter 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. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 28.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Northrop Grumman Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 11th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 23rd were issued a dividend of $2.31 per share. This represents a $9.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 23rd. Northrop Grumman’s payout ratio is presently 31.72%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CAO Michael A. Hardesty sold 147 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $732.98, for a total transaction of $107,748.06. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 2,525 shares in the company, valued at $1,850,774.50. The trade was a 5.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Benjamin R. Davies sold 2,189 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the vice president owned 151 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $108,661.11. This trade represents 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 ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.23% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Vertical Research reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $688.00 target price on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Citigroup lifted their target price on Northrop Grumman from $715.00 to $781.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Bank of America upped their price target on shares of Northrop Grumman from $685.00 to $750.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Northrop Grumman from $777.00 to $778.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and issued a $727.00 price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Monday, January 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Northrop Grumman has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price 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.