Diversified Management Inc. Makes New Investment in Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC

Diversified Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 1,153 shares of the aerospace company’s stock, valued at approximately $657,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 13,531,586 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $8,245,066,000 after purchasing an additional 109,941 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in Northrop Grumman by 2.2% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 2,996,284 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $1,825,696,000 after purchasing an additional 63,223 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 0.3% during the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 1,624,658 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $990,046,000 after purchasing an additional 4,844 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 26.7% during the third quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 1,051,226 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $640,534,000 after purchasing an additional 221,431 shares during the period. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc increased its position in Northrop Grumman by 4.1% during the third quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 746,585 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $454,909,000 after buying an additional 29,478 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 83.40% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Northrop Grumman

In related news, CAO Michael A. Hardesty sold 147 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $732.98, for a total value of $107,748.06. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 2,525 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,850,774.50. This represents a 5.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP Benjamin R. Davies sold 2,189 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was 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 ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 22,431 shares of company stock worth $15,924,404 over the last quarter. 0.23% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Northrop Grumman News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: B-21 Raider flight-test progress — Northrop announced successful aerial refueling and accelerated flight testing, highlighted $5B+ invested in digital/manufacturing to ramp production and first aircraft planned for 2027; that strengthens long-term program revenue visibility and strategic importance. Northrop Grumman’s B-21 Raider Powers Unmatched Long-Range Strike Capability
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/upside coverage — recent pieces name NOC among top aerospace‑defense buys as rising defense budgets and stronger air travel boost demand; several firms maintain buy ratings and above‑market price targets, supporting sentiment. 3 Aerospace-Defense Stocks to Buy on Strong Defense & Air Travel Boom
• Positive Sentiment: Earnings momentum — previews from Zacks and others point to revenue/earnings growth and the ingredients for a likely beat next week, reinforcing near‑term upside if results/guide beat expectations. Northrop Grumman (NOC) Earnings Expected to Grow: What to Know Ahead of Next Week’s Release
• Positive Sentiment: Space & Sentinel program updates — accelerated Sentinel ICBM progress and successful NG‑24 Cygnus XL cargo mission highlight growing space/logistics revenue streams beyond traditional air/land defense work. Northrop Grumman Updates Highlight Sentinel Progress And Expanding Space Logistics
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst price-target dispersion & institutional flows — median target sits near $730 but ranges widely; institutional activity is mixed with large adds and large reductions, which can mute directional conviction. Northrop Grumman’s B-21 Raider Demonstrates Advanced Capabilities as Flight Testing Accelerates
• Negative Sentiment: Supply-chain and margin risks — coverage flags that lingering supply-chain issues and rising program costs (notably B‑21 scale-up) could pressure near-term margins even if top-line grows. 3 Aerospace-Defense Stocks to Buy on Strong Defense & Air Travel Boom
• Negative Sentiment: Insider and large institutional selling — recent disclosures show significant insider sales and large institutional reductions at some firms, which can sap near‑term sentiment even as fundamentals remain strong. Northrop Grumman’s B-21 Raider Demonstrates Advanced Capabilities as Flight Testing Accelerates

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have issued reports on NOC. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Bank of America boosted their target price on Northrop Grumman from $685.00 to $750.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Vertical Research restated a “hold” rating and issued a $688.00 price target on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. BTIG Research raised their price target on Northrop Grumman from $680.00 to $815.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Northrop Grumman from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 21st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Northrop Grumman presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $719.58.

Northrop Grumman Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of NOC stock opened at $678.48 on Thursday. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a 12-month low of $450.13 and a 12-month high of $774.00. The company has a market capitalization of $96.37 billion, a PE ratio of 23.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.81 and a beta of 0.04. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $709.56 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $637.71. 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 (NYSE:NOC) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The aerospace company reported $7.23 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.97 by $0.26. The company had revenue of $11.71 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.61 billion. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 25.57% and a net margin of 9.97%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $6.39 earnings per share. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2026 guidance at 27.400-27.900 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 28.05 earnings per share for the current year.

Northrop Grumman Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. Northrop Grumman’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 31.72%.

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.