Schroder Investment Management Group Buys 1,008 Shares of Northrop Grumman Co. (NYSE:NOC)

Schroder Investment Management Group raised its stake in shares of Northrop Grumman Co. (NYSE:NOC - Free Report) by 12.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 8,857 shares of the aerospace company's stock after buying an additional 1,008 shares during the quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group's holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $4,132,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $171,580,000. Prudential Financial Inc. grew its position in shares of Northrop Grumman by 225.8% in the 4th quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 327,998 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $153,926,000 after purchasing an additional 227,314 shares during the period. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $94,370,000. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its position in shares of Northrop Grumman by 6.2% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 2,426,270 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $1,315,729,000 after purchasing an additional 141,816 shares during the period. Finally, Wedge Capital Management L L P NC acquired a new position in shares of Northrop Grumman in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $66,171,000. 83.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Northrop Grumman Stock Performance

NYSE NOC traded up $1.22 on Thursday, reaching $513.52. The stock had a trading volume of 183,442 shares, compared to its average volume of 864,569. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.01 and a quick ratio of 0.91. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $480.22 and a two-hundred day moving average of $491.71. Northrop Grumman Co. has a 1-year low of $418.60 and a 1-year high of $555.57. The company has a market cap of $74.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.73 and a beta of 0.20.

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Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The aerospace company reported $6.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.27 by $0.12. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 26.24% and a net margin of 10.17%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Northrop Grumman Co. will post 28.05 EPS for the current year.

Northrop Grumman announced that its board has initiated a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, December 11th that authorizes the company to buyback $3.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the aerospace company to repurchase up to 4.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally an indication that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

Northrop Grumman Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 19th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were given a $2.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $8.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.60%. Northrop Grumman's dividend payout ratio is presently 29.08%.

Insider Transactions at Northrop Grumman

In other Northrop Grumman news, CEO Kathy J. Warden sold 3,750 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $475.65, for a total value of $1,783,687.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 212,852 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $101,243,053.80. This trade represents a 1.73 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Benjamin R. Davies sold 464 shares of Northrop Grumman stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $460.75, for a total value of $213,788.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 245 shares in the company, valued at approximately $112,883.75. The trade was a 65.44 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 4,505 shares of company stock worth $2,127,182 over the last ninety days. 0.22% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

NOC has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Northrop Grumman from $545.00 to $547.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, March 7th. Barclays reduced their price target on Northrop Grumman from $550.00 to $500.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 6th. StockNews.com cut Northrop Grumman from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Argus upgraded Northrop Grumman to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. Finally, Truist Financial began coverage on Northrop Grumman in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. They set a "buy" rating and a $544.00 price objective on the stock. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $545.06.

Northrop Grumman Company Profile

Northrop Grumman Corporation operates as an aerospace and defense technology company in the United States, Asia/Pacific, Europe, and internationally. The company's Aeronautics Systems segment designs, develops, manufactures, integrates, and sustains aircraft systems. This segment also offers unmanned autonomous aircraft systems, including high-altitude long-endurance strategic ISR systems and vertical take-off and landing tactical ISR systems; and strategic long-range strike aircraft, tactical fighter and air dominance aircraft, and airborne battle management and command and control systems.