Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC Shares Bought by Bessemer Group Inc.

Bessemer Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) by 11.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 587,121 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after buying an additional 58,690 shares during the period. Northrop Grumman accounts for approximately 0.6% of Bessemer Group Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 29th biggest holding. Bessemer Group Inc.’s holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $400,557,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Torren Management LLC purchased a new stake in Northrop Grumman during the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Karpus Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Financial Life Planners acquired a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman in the 1st quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Motiv8 Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. 83.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the stock. TD Cowen dropped their target price on shares of Northrop Grumman from $680.00 to $580.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Monday. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Northrop Grumman from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $620.00 price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their target price on shares of Northrop Grumman from $620.00 to $580.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Finally, BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $815.00 price target on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Northrop Grumman presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $676.29.

Northrop Grumman Stock Down 1.3%

Shares of NYSE:NOC opened at $518.19 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a 52-week low of $493.84 and a 52-week high of $774.00. The company has a 50 day moving average of $538.60 and a two-hundred day moving average of $624.52. The company has a market capitalization of $73.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.55 and a beta of -0.10.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The aerospace company reported $6.14 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.06 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $9.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.75 billion. Northrop Grumman had a net margin of 10.80% and a return on equity of 24.72%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $6.06 earnings per share. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2026 guidance at 27.400-27.900 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 27.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Northrop Grumman Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 1st were issued a $2.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 1st. This represents a $9.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. This is an increase from Northrop Grumman’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.31. Northrop Grumman’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.92%.

Key Northrop Grumman News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary continue to highlight Northrop Grumman’s strong defense backlog and long-term demand outlook, which supports revenue visibility and could help offset near-term volatility. Northrop Grumman to Post Q2 Earnings: Here’s What to Expect
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley reportedly named Northrop Grumman one of its top defense stocks, reinforcing the view that the company remains a favored name in the sector. Morgan Stanley Picks Its Top Three Defense Stocks. One Has 100% Upside.
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple preview pieces are focusing on key Q2 operating metrics, suggesting the stock may react to details on execution, cash flow, and contract performance rather than just headline EPS and revenue. Wall Street’s Insights Into Key Metrics Ahead of Northrop Grumman (NOC) Q2 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Northrop’s Sentinel program remains a key watch item, with investors waiting to see whether job expansion and program updates point to stronger execution or added cost pressure. Northrop Grumman Planning To Add Hundreds Of Jobs For Sentinel
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts have trimmed price targets and lowered fair value estimates, signaling more caution about near-term upside and execution risk. Northrop Grumman (NOC) Stock Fair Value Edges Lower As Analysts Trim Targets

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.