M&T Bank Corp Buys 176,352 Shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC

M&T Bank Corp increased its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) by 1,086.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 192,583 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after acquiring an additional 176,352 shares during the quarter. M&T Bank Corp owned about 0.13% of Northrop Grumman worth $109,813,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Focused Investors LLC increased its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 4.1% in the 3rd quarter. Focused Investors LLC now owns 211,800 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $129,054,000 after buying an additional 8,300 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 74.5% in the 3rd quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 11,060 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $6,739,000 after buying an additional 4,721 shares during the period. Huntleigh Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Northrop Grumman in the 3rd quarter valued at $2,818,000. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. increased its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 4.1% in the 3rd quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. now owns 81,747 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $49,810,000 after buying an additional 3,215 shares during the period. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 13.4% in the 3rd quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 22,318 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $13,599,000 after buying an additional 2,644 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 83.40% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have issued reports on NOC. Susquehanna reissued a “positive” rating and issued a $752.00 price target on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Thursday, January 15th. TD Cowen restated a “hold” rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $800.00 target price on the stock. Argus set a $785.00 target price on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $765.00 target price on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Northrop Grumman currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $719.58.

Northrop Grumman News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat and backlog support — NOC reported $6.14 EPS on ~$9.9B revenue, topping consensus; management highlighted strong aeronautics demand and a backlog that supports multi-year visibility. Northrop Grumman (NOC) Q1 Earnings and Revenues Beat Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst view and longer-term targets remain constructive — multiple firms still carry buy ratings and analyst median price targets (~$750) that imply meaningful upside over time, supporting a longer-term bull case despite near-term volatility. Northrop Grumman Stock (NOC) Opinions on Q1 Earnings Release
• Negative Sentiment: Reaffirmed guidance below street expectations — management reiterated FY2026 EPS and revenue targets (EPS 27.40–27.90; revenue $43.5B–$44.0B), which came in slightly below consensus and disappointed investors who had hoped for an upside raise. Stealth Bomber Maker Northrop Grumman Delivers Strong Earnings. The Stock Is Down.
• Negative Sentiment: Quarterly cash use and program adjustment — Q1 showed about $1.6B operating cash use and ~$1.8B free-cash-flow use (seasonal but heavier than some expected) and a $71M unfavorable EAC adjustment in Space Systems (GEM 63XL launch anomaly), raising near-term execution and cash concerns. Northrop Grumman falls as investors focus on Q1 cash burn and a Space Systems charge
• Negative Sentiment: Higher capex tied to B-21 ramp — management raised FY2026 capex to ~$1.85B to support B-21 production capacity expansion, which is positive for program delivery but increases near-term cash needs and capital intensity. Northrop Grumman reaffirms $43.5B-$44B 2026 sales outlook while lifting 2026 capex to $1.85B for B-21 ramp

Northrop Grumman Stock Down 6.9%

Shares of NYSE NOC opened at $611.42 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $705.88 and its 200 day simple moving average is $639.26. The company has a market cap of $86.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 0.04. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a 12-month low of $450.13 and a 12-month high of $774.00.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The aerospace company reported $6.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.06 by $0.08. Northrop Grumman had a net margin of 9.97% and a return on equity of 25.57%. The business had revenue of $9.88 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.75 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $6.06 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2026 guidance at 27.400-27.900 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 28.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Northrop Grumman Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 11th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 23rd were given a dividend of $2.31 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 23rd. This represents a $9.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.5%. Northrop Grumman’s dividend payout ratio is presently 31.72%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Northrop Grumman

In other Northrop Grumman news, VP Benjamin R. Davies sold 2,189 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $719.61, for a total transaction of $1,575,226.29. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 151 shares in the company, valued at approximately $108,661.11. This represents a 93.55% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Kathy J. Warden sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $708.82, for a total transaction of $14,176,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 171,602 shares in the company, valued at approximately $121,634,929.64. The trade was a 10.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 22,431 shares of company stock valued at $15,924,404. 0.21% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About Northrop Grumman

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.