Bank of Nova Scotia Cuts Stock Holdings in Northrop Grumman Corporation $NOC

Bank of Nova Scotia trimmed its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) by 24.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 47,189 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after selling 14,947 shares during the period. Bank of Nova Scotia’s holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $32,194,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in NOC. Davis R M Inc. boosted its position in shares of Northrop Grumman by 0.6% in the first quarter. Davis R M Inc. now owns 59,224 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $40,405,000 after purchasing an additional 348 shares during the period. Monograph Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman during the 1st quarter valued at $351,000. Cetera Investment Advisers lifted its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman by 5.9% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 87,133 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $59,445,000 after buying an additional 4,884 shares in the last quarter. Signature Equity Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 118.7% in the 1st quarter. Signature Equity Partners LLC now owns 479 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $327,000 after buying an additional 260 shares during the period. Finally, Goepper Burkhardt LLC boosted its holdings in Northrop Grumman by 4.1% in the 1st quarter. Goepper Burkhardt LLC now owns 537 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $366,000 after buying an additional 21 shares during the period. 83.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Northrop Grumman Stock Performance

Shares of NOC opened at $542.09 on Friday. Northrop Grumman Corporation has a one year low of $479.02 and a one year high of $774.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.17. The stock has a market cap of $76.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.22, a P/E/G ratio of 3.46 and a beta of -0.10. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $535.81 and a two-hundred day moving average of $622.09.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 21st. The aerospace company reported $7.68 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.82 by $0.86. Northrop Grumman had a net margin of 10.48% and a return on equity of 24.25%. The firm had revenue of $10.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.80 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $8.15 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly 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. As a group, research analysts predict that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 28.89 EPS for the current year.

Northrop Grumman Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 17th. Investors of record on Monday, June 1st were paid a $2.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 1st. This represents a $9.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.8%. This is an increase from Northrop Grumman’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.31. Northrop Grumman’s dividend payout ratio is currently 31.39%.

Key Stories Impacting Northrop Grumman

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

• Positive Sentiment: Northrop Grumman’s Q2 earnings beat expectations, and the company lifted its full-year sales guidance while highlighting strong contract wins and a record backlog, reinforcing the investment case for the stock. Is Northrop Grumman (NOC) Undervalued As Earnings Beat And Guidance Rise?
• Positive Sentiment: Broader defense sector strength is helping sentiment, with defense ETFs benefiting from higher military spending, solid quarterly results across peers, and rising geopolitical tensions that could support future demand. Defense ETFs in Focus Amid Earnings, Conflict and Military Spending
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles and analyst notes say Northrop Grumman may still be undervalued or better positioned than other industrial names, which supports investor interest after the earnings report. How Much Could a $5,000 Investment in SpaceX Be Worth By 2030? Here’s Why This Industrial Stock May Be a Better Buy Today.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain mixed, with UBS reportedly sticking to a Buy rating while TD Cowen and JPMorgan lowered price targets, suggesting expectations are still being recalibrated after earnings.
• Neutral Sentiment: Northrop Grumman also drew attention for its new robotic satellite servicing vehicle and mission extension pods, which may support long-term space systems growth but are not an immediate earnings driver. Northrop Grumman’s Mission Robotic Vehicle Launched Into Space; Operations Begin In 2027

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Morgan Stanley set a $745.00 price objective on Northrop Grumman in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. TD Cowen reduced their target price on shares of Northrop Grumman from $580.00 to $550.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Raymond James Financial reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Monday, June 15th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on shares of Northrop Grumman from $620.00 to $580.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, June 26th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Northrop Grumman from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, April 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $655.24.

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.