Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC Position Lowered by Stokes Capital Advisors LLC

Stokes Capital Advisors LLC lessened its position in shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) by 16.0% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 10,496 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after selling 2,001 shares during the period. Stokes Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $5,075,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. GK Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Northrop Grumman in the 3rd quarter valued at $44,000. Balefire LLC acquired a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman during the 3rd quarter worth $201,000. Bullock Wealth Management Group lifted its position in shares of Northrop Grumman by 1.5% during the 3rd quarter. Bullock Wealth Management Group now owns 1,705 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $822,000 after buying an additional 26 shares during the last quarter. Athena Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Northrop Grumman by 4.0% in the third quarter. Athena Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,684 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $814,000 after buying an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Central Bank & Trust Co. boosted its stake in Northrop Grumman by 1.6% in the third quarter. Central Bank & Trust Co. now owns 2,846 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $1,376,000 after buying an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.40% of the company’s stock.

Northrop Grumman Price Performance

Northrop Grumman stock opened at $480.95 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $531.46 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $559.90. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a 12 month low of $470.06 and a 12 month high of $774.00. The company has a market capitalization of $68.31 billion, a PE ratio of 15.28, a P/E/G ratio of 2.84 and a beta of -0.11. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The aerospace company reported $7.68 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.82 by $0.86. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 24.25% and a net margin of 10.48%. The company had revenue of $10.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $10.80 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $8.15 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.600-29.100 EPS. Analysts expect that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 28.97 EPS for the current year.

Northrop Grumman Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Investors of record on Monday, August 31st were given a dividend of $2.47 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 31st. This represents a $9.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. Northrop Grumman’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 31.39%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Northrop Grumman news, Director Mark Welsh, III sold 95 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $547.53, for a total transaction of $52,015.35. Following the sale, the director directly owned 4,393 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,405,299.29. The trade was a 2.12% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.21% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on NOC shares. TD Cowen lowered their target price on Northrop Grumman from $590.00 to $540.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. BNP Paribas Exane decreased their price target on shares of Northrop Grumman from $640.00 to $540.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman from $620.00 to $580.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Robert W. Baird set a $500.00 price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lowered shares of Northrop Grumman from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and cut their target price for the company from $640.00 to $525.00 in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $644.70.

Key Stories Impacting Northrop Grumman

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

• Positive Sentiment: Northrop Grumman integrated SRC’s Gryphon R1810 long-range radar into its Raid Hunter air-defense system. The upgrade is designed to improve detection and precision against multiple airborne targets, including drone swarms, potentially strengthening the company’s positioning in counter-drone and infrastructure-protection markets. Northrop Grumman Upgraded Raid Hunter With New Long Range Radar
• Positive Sentiment: Citi maintained its Buy rating on NOC, signaling that the bank continues to see value in Northrop’s defense portfolio and long-term prospects. Citi Remains a Buy on Northrop Grumman
• Positive Sentiment: Recent investment commentary highlights Northrop’s record backlog, raised guidance and dividend appeal after a significant year-to-date decline. Its latest quarterly results also exceeded earnings expectations, while full-year 2026 EPS guidance remains strong at $28.60–$29.10. As War Fades Away, It’s Time to Buy Defense Stocks
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor comparisons of Northrop Grumman and L3Harris focus on their dividends, backlogs and potential risks, but do not provide a new company-specific catalyst or material financial update. LHX vs. NOC: Which Defense Dividend Will Actually Protect Your Retirement?
• Negative Sentiment: Barclays initiated coverage with an Underweight rating, adding to concerns about valuation, execution or near-term upside. Barclays Initiates Coverage at Underweight
• Negative Sentiment: TD Cowen lowered its price target from $590 to $540 and assigned a Hold rating. Although the revised target implies potential upside from the recent trading level, the cut signals reduced expectations and may pressure the stock.

About Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) is a global aerospace and defense company that develops and produces systems for government and commercial customers, with the U.S. Department of Defense and other government agencies representing its primary markets. Its work spans advanced aircraft, autonomous systems, space systems, missile defense, command and control, cybersecurity, and other mission-critical technologies.

The company’s offerings include strategic and tactical aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, aircraft systems, satellites, spacecraft, launch vehicles, missile-warning and missile-defense systems, secure communications, and cyber and information systems.