Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) Releases FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 29.350-29.750 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 28.970. The company issued revenue guidance of $43.8 billion-$44.3 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $44.0 billion.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently commented on NOC shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $615.00 price objective on Northrop Grumman and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. BNP Paribas Exane upped their target price on Northrop Grumman from $540.00 to $600.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Rothschild & Co Redburn began coverage on Northrop Grumman in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. They set a “buy” rating and a $680.00 price target on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on Northrop Grumman from $533.00 to $538.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, Barclays reissued an “underweight” rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research report on Thursday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $641.35.

Northrop Grumman Price Performance

Shares of NOC stock opened at $539.46 on Thursday. Northrop Grumman has a 12 month low of $470.06 and a 12 month high of $774.00. The company has a current ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $522.28 and a two-hundred day moving average of $548.98. The company has a market capitalization of $76.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.02, a P/E/G ratio of 3.05 and a beta of -0.11.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 20th. The aerospace company reported $7.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.18 by $0.71. The business had revenue of $11.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $11.14 billion. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 23.46% and a net margin of 10.37%. Northrop Grumman’s quarterly revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $7.67 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Northrop Grumman will post 29.55 EPS for the current year.

Northrop Grumman Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 31st were paid a dividend of $2.47 per share. This represents a $9.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 31st. Northrop Grumman’s dividend payout ratio is currently 31.17%.

Insider Transactions at Northrop Grumman

In other news, Director Mark Welsh, III sold 95 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $547.53, for a total value of $52,015.35. Following the sale, the director owned 4,393 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,405,299.29. The trade was a 2.12% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.21% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Northrop Grumman

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 earnings beat expectations. Northrop reported adjusted earnings of $7.89 per share, ahead of the approximately $7.18 consensus, while revenue rose 6.7% year over year to $11.12 billion and broadly matched estimates. Northrop Grumman Shares Up on Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised its FY 2026 earnings outlook. The company now expects EPS of $29.35-$29.75, above the consensus estimate of $28.97. Revenue guidance of $43.8 billion-$44.3 billion was maintained around analysts’ expectations. Northrop Grumman Q3 Earnings Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Record backlog supports longer-term visibility. Backlog reached approximately $109.6 billion-$110 billion, up about 20% year over year, with a 1.5x book-to-bill ratio. Management also projected 5%-7% sales growth in 2027, supported by B-21 bomber investment and demand across defense and space programs. Northrop Grumman Earnings Call Highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment improved. BNP Paribas Exane raised its price target to $600 and rated the stock “outperform,” while Baird increased its target to $675 and upgraded the shares. Bank of America maintained a Buy rating with a $750 target. Northrop Grumman Analysts Boost Their Forecasts
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are weighing the growth outlook against higher capital spending, potential margin pressure and paused share buybacks. The company’s sizable government exposure also leaves it sensitive to defense-budget priorities and political developments.

About Northrop Grumman

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.