Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) Stock Price Down 4.9% – Here’s What Happened

21 Apr 2026, 12:46 by Scott Moore · The Cerbat Gem

Shares of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC – Get Free Report) were down 4.9% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $629.00 and last traded at $625.0230. Approximately 165,196 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 82% from the average daily volume of 919,434 shares. The stock had previously closed at $656.98.

Key Stories Impacting Northrop Grumman

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

Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat on revenue and EPS — Northrop exceeded consensus on both sales and earnings, supported by aeronautics strength and margin recovery, which supports the company’s medium/long‑term earnings power. Reuters: Northrop Grumman posts higher revenue
Positive Sentiment: B‑21 / production investments — Management highlighted steps to expand B‑21 production capacity and accelerate Sentinel IOC, signaling higher future revenue potential from prioritized, large‑scale programs. Yahoo: Northrop Grumman B-21 Progress
Neutral Sentiment: FY 2026 guidance reaffirmed — Management reiterated full‑year targets (EPS and free cash flow) rather than raising them; that reduces upside surprise potential even though guidance remains broadly in line with expectations. Barron’s: Stealth Bomber Maker Delivers Strong Earnings
Negative Sentiment: Quarterly cash burn — Operating cash flow was a use (~$1.66B) and free cash flow was a use (~$1.82B) for Q1, raising near‑term liquidity and working‑capital concerns and pressuring the stock multiple. Quiver Quantitative: Northrop Grumman falls as investors focus on Q1 cash burn
Negative Sentiment: Space Systems charge / program adjustment — A $71M unfavorable EAC adjustment tied to a GEM‑63XL launch anomaly and lower Space Systems margins weighed on segment profitability and raised execution risk in that portfolio. Quiver Quantitative: Space Systems charge analysis
Negative Sentiment: Insider and institutional selling — Recent disclosures show multiple insider sales and large institutional position reductions at quarter end, which can sap market confidence in the near term. Quiver Quantitative: Insider & institutional activity

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on NOC. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $727.00 price target on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Monday, January 12th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $765.00 price target on shares of Northrop Grumman in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. BTIG Research increased their price target on shares of Northrop Grumman from $680.00 to $815.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on Northrop Grumman from $715.00 to $750.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Citigroup raised their price objective on Northrop Grumman from $781.00 to $807.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 2nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $719.58.

View Our Latest Research Report on NOC

Northrop Grumman Trading Down 6.1%

The firm has a market capitalization of $87.59 billion, a PE ratio of 21.20, a P/E/G ratio of 4.71 and a beta of 0.04. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $707.36 and its 200 day moving average price is $639.25.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The aerospace company reported $6.14 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.03 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $9.88 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.75 billion. Northrop Grumman had a net margin of 9.97% and a return on equity of 25.57%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $6.06 earnings per share. Northrop Grumman has set its FY 2026 guidance at 27.400-27.900 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Northrop Grumman Corporation will post 28.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Northrop Grumman Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 11th. Investors of record on Monday, February 23rd were given a $2.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 23rd. This represents a $9.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. Northrop Grumman’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 31.72%.

Insider Activity at Northrop Grumman

In related news, CAO Michael A. Hardesty sold 147 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $732.98, for a total value of $107,748.06. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 2,525 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,850,774.50. The trade was a 5.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Kathy J. Warden sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $708.82, for a total value of $14,176,400.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 171,602 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $121,634,929.64. This trade represents a 10.44% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 22,431 shares of company stock valued at $15,924,404 in the last ninety days. 0.21% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Northrop Grumman

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Torren Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Northrop Grumman in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Karpus Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Financial Life Planners acquired a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman during the third quarter worth $27,000. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Northrop Grumman by 200.0% during the third quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 48 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.40% of the company’s stock.

About Northrop Grumman

(Get 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.