Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Misses Estimates By $0.27 EPS

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday. The aerospace company reported $6.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.33 by ($0.27), Zacks reports. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 26.24% and a net margin of 10.17%. Northrop Grumman updated its FY 2025 guidance to 24.950-25.350 EPS.

Northrop Grumman Stock Performance

Shares of Northrop Grumman stock opened at $530.83 on Tuesday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $489.62 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $491.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a current ratio of 1.01. Northrop Grumman has a one year low of $418.60 and a one year high of $555.57. The company has a market capitalization of $76.51 billion, a PE ratio of 18.73, a P/E/G ratio of 3.73 and a beta of 0.20.

Northrop Grumman Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 19th. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd were given a dividend of $2.06 per share. This represents a $8.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.55%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. Northrop Grumman’s payout ratio is currently 29.08%.

Insider Activity at Northrop Grumman

In other Northrop Grumman news, CEO Kathy J. Warden sold 3,750 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $475.65, for a total value of $1,783,687.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 212,852 shares in the company, valued at approximately $101,243,053.80. This trade represents a 1.73 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Benjamin R. Davies sold 464 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $460.75, for a total transaction of $213,788.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 245 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $112,883.75. The trade was a 65.44 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 4,505 shares of company stock valued at $2,127,182 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.23% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Northrop Grumman

An institutional investor recently raised its position in Northrop Grumman stock. Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings in Northrop Grumman Co. (NYSE:NOC) by 176.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,970 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after buying an additional 1,895 shares during the quarter. Brighton Jones LLC’s holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $1,394,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Institutional investors own 83.40% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have issued reports on NOC shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Northrop Grumman from $545.00 to $547.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, March 7th. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Northrop Grumman from $587.00 to $591.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Northrop Grumman from $550.00 to $500.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Northrop Grumman from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $424.00 to $521.00 in a research report on Friday, April 11th. Finally, Argus upgraded Northrop Grumman to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Northrop Grumman presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $548.88.

Northrop Grumman Company Profile

Northrop Grumman Corporation operates as an aerospace and defense technology company in the United States, Asia/Pacific, Europe, and internationally. The company’s Aeronautics Systems segment designs, develops, manufactures, integrates, and sustains aircraft systems. This segment also offers unmanned autonomous aircraft systems, including high-altitude long-endurance strategic ISR systems and vertical take-off and landing tactical ISR systems; and strategic long-range strike aircraft, tactical fighter and air dominance aircraft, and airborne battle management and command and control systems.