Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC Stock Position Boosted by ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc.

Posted by George Bondi on Oct 15th, 2026

ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc. increased its position in Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC – Free Report) by 5.2% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 105,911 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,196 shares during the period. Northrop Grumman makes up approximately 1.4% of ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 23rd biggest position. ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $51,206,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of NOC. State Street Corp increased its stake in 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 purchasing an additional 168,267 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in Northrop Grumman in the second quarter worth about $6,001,616,000. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in Northrop Grumman in the second quarter worth about $1,298,141,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 0.6% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 960,690 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $655,373,000 after buying an additional 5,811 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman by 11.1% in the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 587,121 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $400,557,000 after buying an additional 58,690 shares in the last quarter. 83.40% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Northrop Grumman Trading Up 3.0%

Shares of NYSE:NOC opened at $496.03 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $70.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.76, a PEG ratio of 2.82 and a beta of -0.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.17 and a quick ratio of 1.06. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a 1 year low of $470.06 and a 1 year high of $774.00. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $527.56 and its 200-day moving average price is $554.80.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 21st. The aerospace company reported $7.68 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.82 by $0.86. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 24.25% and a net margin of 10.48%. The company had revenue of $10.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $10.80 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $8.15 earnings per share. Northrop Grumman’s revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2026 guidance at 28.600-29.100 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 28.96 earnings per share for the current year.

Northrop Grumman Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 31st were given a $2.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 31st. This represents a $9.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. Northrop Grumman’s payout ratio is 31.39%.

Key Headlines Impacting Northrop Grumman

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

Positive Sentiment: Northrop Grumman was selected to build a new variant of the U.S. Army’s Integrated Battle Command System, reinforcing its position in missile-defense and command-and-control programs. The company also disclosed a $21 million Army contract related to missile-defense command. Northrop Grumman selected to build new variant for U.S. Army’s Integrated Battle Command System
Positive Sentiment: Several earnings previews point to potential upside from strong defense demand, increased production and higher sales guidance. Northrop has a strong earnings-surprise history, and analysts say the combination of favorable estimates and company fundamentals could support another quarterly beat. Will Northrop Grumman Beat Estimates Again in Its Next Earnings Report?
Positive Sentiment: A bullish Q3 preview argues that much of the negative news may already be reflected in the valuation, making defense exposure attractive if results and guidance meet expectations. Northrop Grumman Q3 Preview: Bad News Already Priced In
Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street forecasters are revising expectations ahead of the earnings release, highlighting the potential for a meaningful reaction when Northrop reports. Top Wall Street Forecasters Revamp Northrop Grumman Expectations
Negative Sentiment: Q3 expectations remain mixed: program-execution risks and a flat Earnings ESP could prevent a beat despite healthy demand and production trends. Northrop Grumman to Release Q3 Earnings
Negative Sentiment: Barclays initiated coverage with an underweight rating, while Goldman Sachs reduced its price target to $518 from $538, creating pressure on the stock’s near-term outlook.

Insider Transactions at Northrop Grumman

In other Northrop Grumman news, Director Mark Welsh, III sold 95 shares of the company’s 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 owned 4,393 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,405,299.29. This represents a 2.12% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Corporate insiders own 0.21% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently commented on NOC. Morgan Stanley set a $745.00 price target on shares of Northrop Grumman and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Susquehanna reduced their price target on shares of Northrop Grumman from $785.00 to $655.00 and set a “positive” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Robert W. Baird set a $500.00 price target on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman from $620.00 to $556.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn initiated coverage on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $680.00 price objective for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $641.91.

Get Our Latest Research Report on NOC

Northrop Grumman Company Profile

(Free Report)

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. Department of Defense and other government agencies representing its primary markets. Its work spans advanced aircraft, autonomous systems, space systems, missile defense, command and control, cybersecurity, and other mission-critical technologies.

The company’s offerings include strategic and tactical aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, aircraft systems, satellites, spacecraft, launch vehicles, missile-warning and missile-defense systems, secure communications, and cyber and information systems.