World Investment Advisors Increases Position in Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC

Posted by Brenda Bartman on May 16th, 2026

World Investment Advisors raised its position in Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC – Free Report) by 70.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,497 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,853 shares during the quarter. World Investment Advisors’ holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $2,564,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Financial Life Planners purchased a new stake in Northrop Grumman in the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Torren Management LLC purchased a new stake in Northrop Grumman in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. raised its position in Northrop Grumman by 200.0% in the third quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 48 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares during the period. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. purchased a new stake in Northrop Grumman in the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC purchased a new stake in Northrop Grumman in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.40% of the company’s stock.

Northrop Grumman Stock Down 1.5%

Northrop Grumman stock opened at $540.47 on Friday. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a twelve month low of $466.38 and a twelve month high of $774.00. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $655.52 and its 200-day simple moving average is $633.60. The company has a current ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84. The firm has a market capitalization of $76.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.92, a P/E/G ratio of 3.74 and a beta of -0.11.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 21st. The aerospace company reported $6.14 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.06 by $0.08. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 24.72% and a net margin of 10.80%.The business had revenue of $9.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.75 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $6.06 earnings per share. The company’s 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. As a group, equities analysts expect that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 27.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Northrop Grumman News Summary

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

Positive Sentiment: Northrop Grumman’s new LR-450 space navigation system underscores progress in higher-value Space Systems work and could support future growth. Northrop Grumman LR-450 Highlights Push Into Higher Value Space Systems
Positive Sentiment: The company continues to benefit from strong defense-sector demand, with investors comparing NOC favorably against peers as one of the largest U.S. defense contractors. Defense Stock Face-Off: Northrop Grumman vs. Lockheed Martin — Which Is the Better Buy Right Now?
Neutral Sentiment: Northrop Grumman was included in a broader Q1 earnings recap for defense contractors, but the article mainly framed the company in an industry context rather than pointing to a fresh catalyst. Unpacking Q1 Earnings: Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) In The Context Of Other Defense Contractors Stocks
Neutral Sentiment: Options-market activity has picked up, with surging implied volatility signaling uncertainty and potentially weighing on the stock in the short term. Implied Volatility Surging for Northrop Grumman Stock Options
Negative Sentiment: Rising attention to NOC’s options volatility can reflect increased downside hedging or uncertainty ahead of upcoming catalysts, which may pressure shares. Implied Volatility Surging for Northrop Grumman Stock Options

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have issued reports on NOC. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $765.00 target price on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Northrop Grumman from $765.00 to $745.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Citigroup cut their target price on Northrop Grumman from $807.00 to $742.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. Finally, Vertical Research reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $688.00 price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Two equities research 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’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $710.74.

Read Our Latest Analysis on NOC

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP Benjamin R. Davies sold 2,189 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 151 shares in the company, valued at approximately $108,661.11. The trade was a 93.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CAO Michael A. Hardesty sold 147 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $732.98, for a total transaction of $107,748.06. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 2,525 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,850,774.50. The trade was a 5.50% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.21% of the company’s stock.

About Northrop Grumman

(Free Report)

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.