Northrop Grumman CorporationNYSE: NOC
Industrials · Aerospace & Defense
$569.73
-1.68%
Vol: 432K
Research Digest
Friday, May 1, 2026
Northrop Grumman Q1 profit jump amid global demand; secures $488M Air Force contract.
Northrop Grumman Q1 net income $875M with higher sales in unprecedented global demand environment per CEO Kathy Warden. Secured $488M Air Force contract and $207M contract modification for logistics support. Reaffirmed FY2026 revenue guidance with solid backlog. Shares trade at 20x expected earnings, 54% of analysts rating Buy. EraDrive collaborating on AI-enabled spacecraft autonomy. Board declared $2.31 quarterly dividend. Average 12-month PT $697.38 (21.85% upside).
Previous Market Intelligence
13 daysApr 30Northrop Grumman beats Q1 earnings; RBC raises PT to $750, analysts see 29% upside despite 2% post-earnings decline.Positive▶
Northrop Grumman reported Q1 2026 net income of $875 million, beating EPS estimates of $6.03 with $6.14 actual. Aeronautics sales jumped 17% driven by B-21 Raider entering low-rate initial production, with the Air Force expanding annual B-21 production by 25%. Analysts upgraded price targets: Royal Bank of Canada raised to $750 (Outperform), Deutsche Bank maintains Buy at $765, UBS trimmed from $806 to $745 (Buy), and Citigroup cut from $807 to $742 (Buy). Average PT is $743.33, implying 29% upside. The stock fell 2% post-earnings despite the beat.
Apr 16Sentinel Program Accelerates, Q1 Earnings on April 21; Cygnus XL Launch SuccessPositive▶
Northrop Grumman achieved major progress with the U.S. Air Force on the Sentinel program, targeting first flight in 2027 and initial capability in early 2030s. The company assembled the first three-stage Sentinel booster and has solid rocket motors in production for first five flight tests. Hungary announced a partnership for its first sovereign geosynchronous communications satellite using Northrop's GEOStar-3 spacecraft. NG-24 Cygnus XL successfully launched on April 11, carrying nearly 11,000 pounds to the ISS. Q1 earnings report scheduled April 21 with analyst expectations of EPS $6.08 and revenue $9.84 billion. Citigroup raised price target to $807; B-21 Raider testing progressing with aerial refueling capability demonstrated.
Apr 15Northrop Grumman advances Sentinel ICBM program with first booster assembly, NG-24 Cygnus mission success drives defense contract momentum.Positive▶
Northrop Grumman announced major progress on its Sentinel program on April 13, assembling the first three-stage booster and confirming solid rocket motors for five flight tests are in production, targeting first flight in 2027. The company also successfully launched its NG-24 Cygnus XL spacecraft on April 11-12. Q1 2026 earnings are scheduled for April 21. Analysts maintain Buy ratings with average price target of $701.56.
Apr 14Northrop Grumman and U.S. Air Force accelerate Sentinel program with booster assembly and first flight targeted for 2027.Positive▶
Northrop Grumman announced significant progress on the Sentinel hypersonic missile program on April 13, completing assembly of the first three-stage booster and conducting successful separation tests. Solid rocket motors for the first five flight tests are already in production, with the company breaking ground on a prototype launch silo. Q1 earnings due April 21.
Apr 13Northrop Grumman NG-24 Cygnus XL launched April 11 with 33% more cargo capacity; Hungary satellite partnership announced; Q1 earnings April 21.Positive▶
Northrop Grumman executed successful NG-24 Cygnus XL cargo mission to ISS on April 11, carrying 11,000 pounds of supplies. The improved Cygnus XL variant offers 33% increased cargo capacity. Company announced partnership with 4iG to develop Hungary's first sovereign geosynchronous Ka-band communications satellite. Citigroup raised PT to $807 citing positive space economy trends. Q1 2026 earnings scheduled April 21.
Apr 10Northrop Grumman secures Cygnus resupply mission and $334 million Navy electronic warfare contract.Positive▶
Northrop Grumman and SpaceX targeted April 11 for Cygnus XL launch to resupply International Space Station. Company announced joint effort with 4iG Space for Hungary's first sovereign geosynchronous communications satellite. U.S. Navy awarded $334.4 million sole-source contract modification for SEWIP Block 3 systems. Q1 2026 earnings release scheduled for April 21 prior to market open.
Apr 9Northrop Grumman successfully provides Artemis II boosters; analysts upgrade on defense/space demand momentum.Positive▶
Northrop Grumman provided the solid rocket boosters for NASA's April 1 Artemis II launch, generating 7.2M lbs of thrust, demonstrating execution on critical government contracts. Wells Fargo initiated coverage on April 1 with Overweight rating and $800 price target, citing Northrop's investment ahead of peer capacity and structural growth in defense/space. Citigroup raised price target to $807 from $781 on April 2, maintaining Buy rating. The company reported 2025 record backlog of $95.7B, organic sales growth of 3%, operating margin of 10.8%, and diluted EPS of $29.08. The board declared a $2.31/share quarterly dividend (12% increase). At $702.50, the stock is up 19.95% over 90 days and 47.02% over 1 year, with analyst consensus showing strong "Buy" ratings (17 analysts).
Apr 8Northrop Grumman benefits from U.S. Air Force Sentinel silo groundbreaking and Artemis II momentumPositive▶
U.S. Air Force broke ground on full-scale LGM-35A Sentinel silo prototype in Utah on March 27, supporting Northrop Grumman's missile modernization contracts. Company achieved strong 2025 results with $42 billion sales (up 2%), 10.8% operating margin, and record $95.7 billion backlog. Diluted EPS was $29.08, exceeding guidance. Board increased quarterly dividend by 12% to $2.31 per share. Northrop Grumman benefiting from successful Artemis II solid rocket booster support and expanded weapons contracts. Citigroup raised price target to $807. Space economy forecasted to reach $2 trillion by 2040. Wells Fargo initiated with Overweight rating.
Apr 7Air Force breaks ground on Sentinel silo; Citi raises NOC price target to $807Positive▶
Northrop Grumman stock gained focus as the Air Force broke ground on an LGM-35A Sentinel silo on March 27. Program costs trend toward $160B with revised estimate near $141B, driving multi-year revenue and cash flows. Citi analyst John Godyn raised the firm's price target on NOC to $807 from $781 and maintained Buy rating. Northrop continues advancing in autonomous aviation and lunar exploration, including expanded NASA lunar project involvement. NOC stock closed at $702.75 with 47% one-year gain. Despite strong performance, mixed valuation signals suggest investors assess risks. Q1 2026 earnings report scheduled for April 21 prior to market open.
Apr 6Northrop Grumman wins Army contract and Navy electronics warfare modification; stock up 47% YTD on strong operationsPositive▶
Northrop Grumman awarded $884.88M Army contract and received U.S. Navy contract modification for additional electronic warfare systems. Stock up 47% over past year fueled by strong operational performance and recent contracts. Trading at $702.75 with market cap of $99.67B, P/E of 24.16 and 1.3% dividend yield. Recent Citi price target raised to $807 from $781. Average target is $749.08 with consensus Buy. Sentinel and B-21 bomber programs should drive material top-line growth over decades.
Apr 3Wells Fargo upgrades to Strong Buy; Citi raises target to $807 as $1.01B in March defense contracts fuel growth outlook.Positive▶
Northrop Grumman won an $884.88M Army contract and $127.32M Navy contract in late March 2026, strengthening its defense portfolio. Citi raised price target to $807 from $781, and Wells Fargo upgraded to Strong Buy. The stock closed at $702.50 with 90-day returns of ~20% and 1-year returns of ~39%.
Apr 2Wells Fargo initiates Northrop Grumman with Overweight rating and $800 target; B-21 bomber production contract accelerated with new Air Force funding.Positive▶
Wells Fargo initiated coverage on Northrop Grumman with an overweight rating and $800 price target on April 2, 2026. Northrop Grumman secured a $127 million U.S. Department of War contract for GQM-163A Coyote Supersonic Sea-skimming Targets including 28 targets for the Navy and governments of Japan and Korea. The company signed an Air Force contract to accelerate B-21 bomber production with unpriced upside for 2027-2028. Shares up 28% YTD with strong military demonstration of Lumberjack Group 3 Uncrewed Aircraft System on March 31, 2026.
Apr 1Northrop Grumman awarded $127M Navy SEWIP Block 3 contract and demonstrates Lumberjack autonomous drone capabilities; Wells Fargo initiates Overweight.Positive▶
Northrop Grumman received a Navy contract modification for SEWIP Block 3 systems and showcased autonomous mission control of its Lumberjack drone during the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division's Operation Lethal Eagle. Wells Fargo initiated coverage with Overweight rating and $800 price target.
Sector Peers
| Company | Price | Day | 1M | Fwd P/E | Beta | Mkt Cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOCNORTHROP | $569.73 | -1.68% | -16.7% | 19.2x | 0.05 | $82.3B |
| GEGENERAL | $287.56 | -0.82% | +0.4% | 33.4x | 1.43 | $302.9B |
| RTXRTX | $174.46 | -0.91% | -11.3% | 23.3x | 0.43 | $237.1B |
| BABOEING | $227.67 | -0.59% | +7.9% | 52.3x | 1.13 | $180.5B |
| LMTLOCKHEED | $513.30 | -0.90% | -18.8% | 16.1x | 0.24 | $119.4B |
| HWMHOWMET | $240.10 | -1.21% | +2.7% | 43.3x | 1.24 | $97.4B |
Key Fundamentals
RSI (14-Day)
52-Week Range
Moving Averages
Price below 200d MA — bearish structure.