Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) Price Target Raised to $781.00 at Citigroup

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) had its price target increased by Citigroup from $715.00 to $781.00 in a research report report published on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. Citigroup currently has a buy rating on the aerospace company’s stock.

A number of other brokerages have also recently issued reports on NOC. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $700.00 target price on Northrop Grumman and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Wednesday, December 24th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a “market perform” rating and set a $727.00 price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Monday, January 12th. Truist Financial reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $623.00 target price (down from $688.00) on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Susquehanna reissued a “positive” rating and set a $752.00 price target on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $685.11.

Northrop Grumman Trading Up 1.5%

NOC opened at $689.05 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $594.57 and a 200 day simple moving average of $586.47. Northrop Grumman has a fifty-two week low of $426.24 and a fifty-two week high of $690.74. The company has a market cap of $98.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.73 and a beta of 0.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 0.98.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The aerospace company reported $7.23 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.97 by $0.26. The firm had revenue of $11.71 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.61 billion. Northrop Grumman had a net margin of 9.97% and a return on equity of 25.57%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $6.39 EPS. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2026 guidance at 27.400-27.900 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Northrop Grumman will post 28.05 earnings per share for the current year.

Northrop Grumman Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 1st were issued a $2.31 dividend. This represents a $9.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 1st. Northrop Grumman’s dividend payout ratio is 33.24%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Northrop Grumman news, Director Mark A. Welsh III sold 97 shares of Northrop Grumman stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $564.08, for a total value of $54,715.76. Following the sale, the director owned 4,281 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,414,826.48. This trade represents a 2.22% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Kathy J. Warden sold 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $615.00, for a total value of $1,845,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 191,602 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $117,835,230. This represents a 1.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 10,097 shares of company stock worth $6,099,716. 0.23% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Northrop Grumman

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Soundwatch Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $6,457,274,000. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. acquired a new position in Northrop Grumman during the second quarter worth $491,985,000. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its position in Northrop Grumman by 11.8% in the second quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 2,933,061 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $1,466,472,000 after purchasing an additional 308,680 shares in the last quarter. Holocene Advisors LP bought a new position in Northrop Grumman in the third quarter valued at $137,280,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its stake in Northrop Grumman by 26.7% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 1,051,226 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $640,534,000 after buying an additional 221,431 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 83.40% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Northrop Grumman

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat, margins and backlog reinforce demand — NOC reported Q4 EPS above estimates ($7.23 vs. ~$6.97), revenue up ~9.6% YoY and a record backlog (~$95.7B). Improved operating margins and strong free cash flow pressured by defense and aeronautics strength are being viewed as durable earnings drivers. Northrop Grumman posts higher quarterly profit as geopolitical uncertainty fuels demand
• Positive Sentiment: Technical breakout and institutional inflows — MarketBeat highlights a breakout from a consolidation range and a confirmed buy signal after the earnings release, which attracted renewed buying and helped validate upside momentum. That technical confirmation is supporting the rally. Northrop Grumman Flashed a Buy Signal—And the Market Backed It Up
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and higher targets — Multiple shops (Citigroup, BTIG, BofA among others) raised price targets and reiterated Buy ratings after the report, giving the stock further support from the sell‑side. Analyst price-target/upgrade coverage summary
• Neutral Sentiment: Cautious FY‑2026 guidance — Management set FY‑2026 EPS guidance of $27.40–$27.90 and revenue guidance slightly below Street consensus, which investors interpret as conservative given the backlog; the guidance tempers but does not erase the positive Q4 print. Northrop Grumman Posts Q4 Beat, 2026 Outlook Disappoints
• Neutral Sentiment: Strategic contracts and partnerships provide runway — Company commentary and coverage note continued contract wins and international partnerships across aeronautics and space that support medium‑term revenue visibility, but these are longer‑dated catalysts. Northrop Grumman Builds Momentum With Strategic Contracts and Global Defense Partnerships
• Negative Sentiment: Buyback pause to accelerate B‑21 production — Management signaled a pause/shift in buybacks to prioritize accelerating B‑21 production, which reduces near‑term capital return and may concern income/return-focused holders. Northrop Grumman Expects Agreement Soon To Accelerate B-21 Production; Pausing Buybacks
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling noted — Recent filings show insider sales (including at senior levels), which can be interpreted as a minor near‑term headwind for sentiment even if not indicative of company fundamentals. QuiverQuant earnings/insider activity summary

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.