Global Retirement Partners LLC Buys 98 Shares of Northrop Grumman Co. (NYSE:NOC)

Global Retirement Partners LLC lifted its stake in Northrop Grumman Co. (NYSE:NOC) by 11.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 947 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after purchasing an additional 98 shares during the quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC’s holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $444,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new position in Northrop Grumman during the third quarter worth $31,000. Albion Financial Group UT bought a new position in Northrop Grumman during the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Northrop Grumman in the 3rd quarter worth about $36,000. Modus Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Northrop Grumman in the fourth quarter worth about $38,000. Finally, Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman during the third quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Institutional investors own 83.40% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on NOC shares. Truist Financial assumed coverage on Northrop Grumman in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. They set a “buy” rating and a $544.00 price target for the company. StockNews.com lowered shares of Northrop Grumman from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Barclays reduced 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 note on Monday, January 6th. Susquehanna reduced their target price on shares of Northrop Grumman from $625.00 to $557.00 and set a “positive” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, UBS Group lowered their price target on Northrop Grumman from $579.00 to $558.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 31st. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $544.56.

Northrop Grumman Price Performance

Shares of NOC opened at $448.59 on Monday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $471.03 and a two-hundred day moving average of $497.58. The company has a quick ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96. Northrop Grumman Co. has a twelve month low of $418.60 and a twelve month high of $555.57. The company has a market cap of $64.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.73 and a beta of 0.35.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The aerospace company reported $6.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.27 by $0.12. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 26.24% and a net margin of 10.17%. As a group, analysts predict that Northrop Grumman Co. will post 28.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Northrop Grumman Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 19th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be given a dividend of $2.06 per share. This represents a $8.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.84%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. Northrop Grumman’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.08%.

Northrop Grumman announced that its board has approved a stock buyback program on Wednesday, December 11th that authorizes the company to buyback $3.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the aerospace company to purchase up to 4.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

About Northrop Grumman

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.