Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) Stock Price Target Raised at BNP Paribas Exane

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) had its target price lifted by stock analysts at BNP Paribas Exane from $540.00 to $600.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “outperform” rating on the aerospace company’s stock. BNP Paribas Exane’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 11.22% from the company’s current price.

Several other research firms have also recently issued reports on NOC. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on shares of Northrop Grumman from $525.00 to $550.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman from $533.00 to $538.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $620.00 price objective (down from $800.00) on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Northrop Grumman from $617.00 to $667.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Northrop Grumman from $745.00 to $765.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $641.35.

Northrop Grumman Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:NOC traded up $5.45 on Wednesday, hitting $539.45. The company had a trading volume of 518,394 shares, compared to its average volume of 924,820. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81. The company has a market cap of $76.62 billion, a PE ratio of 17.13, a PEG ratio of 2.99 and a beta of -0.11. Northrop Grumman has a 52-week low of $470.06 and a 52-week high of $774.00. The business has a 50 day moving average of $523.03 and a 200 day moving average of $550.14.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 20th. The aerospace company reported $7.89 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.18 by $0.71. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 24.25% and a net margin of 10.48%. The firm had revenue of $11.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $11.14 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $7.67 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Northrop Grumman will post 28.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Northrop Grumman

In other news, Director Mark Welsh, III sold 95 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $547.53, for a total transaction of $52,015.35. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,393 shares in the company, valued at $2,405,299.29. This represents a 2.12% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.21% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Northrop Grumman

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA boosted its holdings in shares of Northrop Grumman by 7.0% in the 1st quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 61,436 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $41,914,000 after purchasing an additional 4,041 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 13,169,195 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $6,707,203,000 after buying an additional 168,267 shares during the period. Jupiter Topco LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Northrop Grumman during the 2nd quarter worth $3,308,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in shares of Northrop Grumman during the 2nd quarter worth $1,298,141,000. Finally, Sage Capital Advisors llc acquired a new stake in shares of Northrop Grumman during the 3rd quarter worth $5,773,000. 83.40% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Northrop Grumman News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 earnings beat estimates: Northrop Grumman reported adjusted diluted EPS of $7.89, above the roughly $7.18-$7.22 analyst consensus. Revenue rose 6.7% year over year to $11.12 billion, broadly in line with expectations. Reuters report on Northrop Grumman earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Guidance was raised: Management increased its 2026 adjusted EPS outlook by $0.70 at the midpoint and raised its segment operating-income outlook, while maintaining a full-year revenue forecast of approximately $44 billion. Zacks report on Northrop Grumman guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Record backlog improves visibility: Backlog reached approximately $109.6 billion, up about 20% year over year, with third-quarter awards of $16.4 billion and a book-to-bill ratio of roughly 1.5. The backlog supports management’s target for 5%-7% sales growth in 2027 and reflects sustained demand across defense and space programs, including the B-21. Yahoo Finance report on Northrop Grumman growth and B-21 spending
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts became more constructive: Baird upgraded the stock to Outperform and raised its target to $675 from $550, while other analysts, including RBC, also lifted targets after the earnings beat and guidance increase. Benzinga report on analyst forecasts
• Neutral Sentiment: Higher capital spending tied to growth initiatives and B-21 investments could pressure near-term cash flow and create execution challenges, even as it supports longer-term expansion.
• Negative Sentiment: Political uncertainty remains a risk for defense contractors, as potential changes in congressional control could affect program funding and procurement priorities.

Northrop Grumman Company Profile

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) is a global aerospace and defense company that develops and produces systems for government and commercial customers, with the U.S. government representing its primary customer base. The company operates across aerospace, defense, space, cybersecurity and advanced technology markets.

Its products and services include military aircraft and autonomous systems, space systems and satellites, missile defense technologies, command-and-control systems, cyber solutions, sensors, communications networks and other mission-critical systems.