Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) Releases FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of 27.400-27.900 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 28.820. The company issued revenue guidance of $43.5 billion-$44.0 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $44.1 billion.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

NOC has been the subject of several recent research reports. Truist Financial restated a “hold” rating and issued a $623.00 price objective (down previously from $688.00) on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Friday, January 9th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Wednesday, December 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman from $575.00 to $640.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. 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 report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Wednesday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $685.11.

Northrop Grumman Stock Up 1.5%

NOC stock opened at $689.05 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $98.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.73 and a beta of 0.05. The company has a 50-day moving average of $594.57 and a two-hundred day moving average of $586.47. Northrop Grumman has a 52-week low of $426.24 and a 52-week high of $690.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 0.98.

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

Northrop Grumman Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 1st were paid a $2.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 1st. This represents a $9.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Northrop Grumman’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 33.24%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Kathy J. Warden sold 7,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, January 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $600.00, for a total transaction of $4,200,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 194,602 shares in the company, valued at $116,761,200. This represents a 3.47% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Mark A. Welsh III sold 97 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $564.08, for a total transaction of $54,715.76. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 4,281 shares in the company, valued at $2,414,826.48. This represents a 2.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 10,097 shares of company stock worth $6,099,716 in the last ninety days. 0.23% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Trending Headlines about Northrop Grumman

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat estimates — NOC reported $7.23 EPS vs. consensus ~ $6.97 and $11.71B revenue (+9.6% YoY); management highlighted a record backlog (~$95.7B) and strong free cash flow, supporting dividend/buyback capacity. Northrop Grumman posts higher quarterly profit
• Positive Sentiment: Technical and momentum confirmation — MarketBeat and trading signals showed a breakout/buy signal and institutional inflows that reinforced the rally and helped push shares to new highs. This technical follow?through is supporting near?term upside. Northrop Grumman Flashed a Buy Signal
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts lifting targets — Multiple firms (Citigroup, BTIG, Bank of America and others) raised price targets and reiterated buy ratings after the quarter, adding upward catalyst from the sell?side. Benzinga coverage of analyst moves
• Neutral Sentiment: Strategic contract momentum — Coverage notes new contracts and global partnerships that expand NOC’s backlog and program exposure (space, aeronautics). These are longer?lead revenue drivers rather than immediate EPS shocks. Northrop Grumman Builds Momentum
• Neutral Sentiment: Positioned as an enabler in adjacent secular themes — Analyst pieces flag NOC among firms tied to quantum/advanced tech supply chains, a potential medium?term growth tailwind but not an immediate earnings driver. Zacks: Quantum enablers
• Negative Sentiment: Cautious FY?2026 guidance — Management set EPS guidance of $27.40–$27.90 and revenue guidance slightly below consensus, which some investors view as conservative relative to the strong quarter and backlog. That capped the upside for some traders. Benzinga: Q4 beat, 2026 outlook disappoints
• Negative Sentiment: Buybacks paused to speed B?21 production — Northrop said it may pause repurchases to accelerate B?21 work; that reduces near?term shareholder return visibility even if it improves long?term program execution. DefenseDaily: Pausing buybacks

Institutional Trading of Northrop Grumman

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Wexford Capital LP bought a new stake in shares of Northrop Grumman during the third quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise acquired a new stake in Northrop Grumman during the third quarter worth $43,000. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in Northrop Grumman in the 2nd quarter valued at $59,000. Quarry LP bought a new stake in Northrop Grumman in the 3rd quarter valued at $85,000. Finally, Wealth Watch Advisors INC acquired a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman in the 3rd quarter valued at $87,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.40% of the company’s stock.

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.