Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC – Get Free Report) had its price target decreased by investment analysts at Citigroup from $807.00 to $742.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the aerospace company’s stock. Citigroup’s price target points to a potential upside of 28.92% from the stock’s previous close.
A number of other equities analysts have also recently commented on NOC. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a “market perform” rating and issued a $727.00 target price on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Susquehanna reissued a “positive” rating and issued a $752.00 target price on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of Northrop Grumman from $765.00 to $745.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Truist Financial reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $623.00 target price (down from $688.00) on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $713.37.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman Stock Performance
Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The aerospace company reported $6.14 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.06 by $0.08. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 24.72% and a net margin of 10.80%.The firm had revenue of $9.88 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.75 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $6.06 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2026 guidance at 27.400-27.900 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Northrop Grumman will post 27.9 earnings per share for the current year.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other Northrop Grumman news, CEO Kathy J. Warden sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the chief executive officer owned 171,602 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $121,634,929.64. This trade represents a 10.44% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CAO Michael A. Hardesty sold 147 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $732.98, for a total value of $107,748.06. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 2,525 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,850,774.50. This trade represents a 5.50% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 22,431 shares of company stock worth $15,924,404. 0.21% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in Northrop Grumman by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 13,740,721 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $7,835,097,000 after purchasing an additional 209,135 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors increased its holdings in shares of Northrop Grumman by 39.4% during the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 3,434,041 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $1,958,151,000 after buying an additional 970,029 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Northrop Grumman by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,149,478 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $1,793,478,000 after buying an additional 17,948 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 3,125,139 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $1,781,986,000 after acquiring an additional 128,855 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman by 3.9% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,666,517 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $950,265,000 after acquiring an additional 62,817 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.40% of the company’s stock.
Northrop Grumman News Summary
Here are the key news stories impacting Northrop Grumman this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Multiple brokerages reaffirm bullish views — Morgan Stanley and Susquehanna kept buy ratings, and BTIG also reiterated a Buy, supporting a longer-term constructive view on NOC. Morgan Stanley Sticks to Its Buy Rating for Northrop Grumman (NOC) Susquehanna Remains a Buy on Northrop Grumman (NOC) BTIG Research Reaffirms “Buy” Rating for Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC)
- Positive Sentiment: Independent bullish research: Seeking Alpha upgraded NOC to a Strong Buy after the recent pullback, arguing the company’s exposure to the nuclear triad and defense backlog makes it attractive on dips. Northrop Grumman: The Nuclear Triad Winner Is Now A Strong Buy
- Positive Sentiment: Citi’s analyst also flagged the selloff as overdone and said defense stocks can survive a Democratic midterm outcome, framing the pullback as a buy-the-dip opportunity for long-term investors. Defense Stocks Can Survive Big Win by Democrats in Midterms, Says Citi
- Neutral Sentiment: Q1 results were a modest beat on EPS and revenue, and management kept FY‑2026 guidance largely unchanged — the report confirmed execution but didn’t raise upside expectations, leaving near-term sentiment mixed. Northrop Grumman’s shares slip as outlook matches estimates
- Negative Sentiment: Sector-wide selloff and investor risk-off on defense exposure have pressured NOC: Citi highlighted that major defense names have dropped significantly since recent geopolitical events, contributing to the pullback. Defense Stocks Selloff Deepens. The Sector Can Survive a ‘Blue Wave.’
- Negative Sentiment: Citigroup trimmed Northrop’s price target from $807 to $742 — still a Buy, but the cut signals reduced near-term upside expectations and may weigh on sentiment. Citigroup Lowers Price Target
- Negative Sentiment: Jefferies moved to a Hold, adding to mixed analyst signals. Northrop Grumman (NOC) Receives a Hold from Jefferies
- Negative Sentiment: Market reaction to the Q1 beat included concern about a faster-than-expected B-21 ramp and near-term ramp-related costs/inefficiencies, which investors view as margin pressure during the scale-up. Why Northrop Grumman (NOC) Is Down After Q1 Beat And Faster B-21 Ramp News
- Negative Sentiment: Technicals: the stock is trading below its 50- and 200-day moving averages and volume is below average — factors that tend to amplify downward pressure until momentum stabilizes. Market technicals for NOC
Northrop Grumman Company 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.
Further Reading
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