Legal & General Group Plc Buys 16,195 Shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC

Legal & General Group Plc grew its stake in Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) by 2.2% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 747,121 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after acquiring an additional 16,195 shares during the quarter. Legal & General Group Plc owned 0.53% of Northrop Grumman worth $380,516,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of NOC. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position in shares of Northrop Grumman by 176.3% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 2,970 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $1,394,000 after purchasing an additional 1,895 shares in the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC raised its stake in Northrop Grumman by 5.3% during the 4th quarter. Bison Wealth LLC now owns 641 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $301,000 after buying an additional 32 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP raised its stake in Northrop Grumman by 367.7% during the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 2,516 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $1,288,000 after buying an additional 1,978 shares during the period. AXA S.A. lifted its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 1,487.8% during the second quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 16,338 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $8,169,000 after acquiring an additional 15,309 shares in the last quarter. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 6.7% during the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 8,865 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $4,432,000 after acquiring an additional 553 shares in the last quarter. 83.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Northrop Grumman Stock Down 1.2%

NYSE:NOC opened at $542.70 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $77.08 billion, a PE ratio of 17.24, a PEG ratio of 3.56 and a beta of -0.11. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $541.38 and a 200 day simple moving average of $607.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.17. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a 52-week low of $479.02 and a 52-week high of $774.00.

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 analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.82 by $0.86. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 24.25% and a net margin of 10.48%.The firm had revenue of $10.88 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.80 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $8.15 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.600-29.100 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 28.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Northrop Grumman Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Investors of record on Monday, August 31st will be given a $2.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 31st. This represents a $9.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.8%. Northrop Grumman’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 31.39%.

Key Northrop Grumman News

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

• Positive Sentiment: CEO Kathy Warden said Northrop expects to win a “decent share” of the potential $1 trillion Golden Dome space-based missile-defense program. A meaningful award could materially expand the company’s backlog and support long-term growth, although no specific contract has been announced. NOC Stock Inches Ahead — Northrop CEO Reportedly Eyes ‘Decent Share’ In Potential $1 Trillion Golden Dome Defense Contracts
• Positive Sentiment: Warden described Northrop as operating on a “wartime footing” and highlighted rising geopolitical tensions, active conflicts and global defense-spending growth. The comments reinforce expectations for sustained demand across missiles, space systems and other strategic-defense programs. Northrop Grumman Is on a Wartime Footing, CEO Says
• Positive Sentiment: A separate interview emphasized Northrop’s work with the Trump administration on Golden Dome and the broader defense-spending cycle, potentially improving the company’s positioning for future U.S. awards. Northrop CEO on Defense Spending, Golden Dome System
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary characterizes Northrop as a strategic defense holding benefiting from missile demand, space investment and broader defense growth. Northrop Grumman: A Strategic Play On Defense Growth And Missile Demand
• Neutral Sentiment: The administration’s $1.55 billion rare-earth initiative could strengthen the domestic defense supply chain and benefit major contractors such as Northrop, but the direct financial impact on NOC is not yet clear. Why Trump’s $1.55 Billion Rare Earth Move Matters for Lockheed Martin, RTX and Northrop Grumman
• Negative Sentiment: Recent comparisons with Lockheed Martin note that both companies benefit from defense demand but compete with different backlogs, growth rates and international exposure. This may limit NOC’s relative appeal, particularly while Golden Dome opportunities remain uncontracted. LMT vs. NOC: Which Defense Stock Offers Better Growth Prospects?

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently commented on NOC. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Monday, June 15th. TD Cowen increased their target price on Northrop Grumman from $550.00 to $590.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Northrop Grumman from $635.00 to $600.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Northrop Grumman from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on shares of Northrop Grumman from $603.00 to $533.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Northrop Grumman presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $661.30.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Northrop Grumman news, Director Mark A. Welsh III sold 95 shares of Northrop Grumman stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $547.53, for a total value of $52,015.35. Following the sale, the director directly owned 4,393 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,405,299.29. The trade was a 2.12% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 0.21% 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.