Why Northrop Grumman stock moves
Northrop Grumman was roughly unchanged, a normal day for the stock.
Written after the close on ·
Why today
16,413 news analyzed todayNorthrop Grumman was roughly unchanged, a normal day for the stock.
The S&P 500 fell very sharply over the same day, so the stock held up better than the market.
No company news clearly explains the move.
Over the last five trading days the stock fell sharply, in line with the S&P 500 and its sector, which is a big move for this stock.
The next earnings report is on Tuesday 26 January 2027.
Today's move of −0.02% was 0.0 times a normal day's 0.9%. S&P 500 moved −4.41% on the same day.
Northrop Grumman −0.02%S&P 500 −4.41%Much stronger than the market
What analysts expect, and how often they have been right
Analysts’ estimates for Northrop Grumman.
Northrop Grumman earned more than expected in 7 out of 8 reports.
For comparison, about 82% of reports from US companies beat the estimate in the last three years.
The share moved in the same direction as the earnings surprise in 5 out of 8 reports with a measured move, against about 55% of reports from US companies.
Ratings
Price targets
Latest price $525.01
Earnings against expectations, and the share’s reaction
Expected EPSAbove estimateBelow estimateAs expected$
Next reported quarter: expected earnings per share of $7.94 (January 26). For the current fiscal year, expected earnings per share changed from $29.01 three months ago to $29.80 now. 2026 estimate: $29.80. 2027 estimate: $29.94.
Has the share price followed the business?
Price and earnings moved in the same direction: 3 out of 3 years. Across US companies, that happens in about 65% of years. In 2025, the price changed +22% and earnings per share +3%.
Revenue, profit and market cap
RevenueProfitMarket capHatched bars: analysts’ estimates.$B
Assets, liabilities and market cap
AssetsLiabilitiesMarket cap$B
Price and earnings moved in the same direction: 3 out of 3 years.Market cap (Now): $74.6BRevenue 2025: $42.0B
What the key figures say about Northrop Grumman
The figures connect what Northrop Grumman earns with what investors pay.
The line shows the share price in the same year, on its own scale. Hatched bars: analysts’ estimates.
Profit divided by the number of shares. Each share represents this much of the earnings.
2022–2025: $13.53–$31.47. Peers: Rheinmetall 25.75 EUR, Lockheed Martin $28.16, Boeing Company $9.69. 2026 estimate: $29.80 ($29.18–$32.53). 2027 estimate: $29.94 ($28.38–$31.84).
What the company sold during the year.
2022–2025: $36.6B–$42.0B. Peers: Rheinmetall 12.3 bn EUR, Lockheed Martin $79.1B, Boeing Company $94.9B. 2026 estimate: $44.1B ($43.8B–$44.4B). 2027 estimate: $46.9B ($45.7B–$47.5B).
The percentage of revenue left after the costs of running the business.
2022–2025: 6.5%–10.6%. Peers: Rheinmetall 18.6%, Lockheed Martin 11.8%, Boeing Company −6.1%.
Profit as a percentage of shareholders’ money in the company.
2022–2025: 13.9%–32.0%. Peers: Rheinmetall 26.7%, Lockheed Martin 80.2%.
The price investors pay for each unit of annual earnings per share. Not shown for a loss.
2022–2025: 16.6–34.6. Peers: Rheinmetall 31.6, Lockheed Martin 20.1, Boeing Company 17.9. 2026 estimate: 17.6. 2027 estimate: 17.5.
What investors pay for each unit the company sells.
2022–2025: 1.66–2.28. Peers: Rheinmetall 3.10, Lockheed Martin 1.66, Boeing Company 1.45. 2026 estimate: 1.69. 2027 estimate: 1.59.
Money paid to shareholders per share, summed by calendar year.
2017–2025: $3.90–$8.99.
The ordinary yearly dividend as a percentage of the share price.
2022–2025: 1.2%–1.7%. Peers: Rheinmetall 1.4%, Lockheed Martin 2.5%, Boeing Company 0.0%.
Net debt divided by operating earnings before depreciation and amortisation.
2022–2025: 1.44–2.97. Peers: Rheinmetall 1.16, Lockheed Martin 1.47, Boeing Company 13.81.
More key figures
Market cap divided by shareholders’ equity, what remains after liabilities.
2022–2025: 4.45–5.46. Peers: Rheinmetall 7.10, Lockheed Martin 12.96, Boeing Company 20.99.
Market cap plus net debt, divided by operating earnings. This includes debt.
2022–2025: 14.2–28.7.
Cash left after investments, divided by the number of shares.
2022–2025: $9.57–$23.29. Peers: Rheinmetall 8.38 EUR, Lockheed Martin $36.28, Boeing Company -$2.38.
The percentage of assets financed by shareholders’ equity.
2022–2025: 31.0%–35.0%.
The dividend explained
A dividend is money paid to shareholders. Northrop Grumman paid $9.56 per share in the twelve months through November 5, 2026.
On the ex-dividend day, August 31, 2026, Northrop Grumman traded without the right to the $2.47 dividend. The price went from $545.57 to $539.70; including the dividend, the day's change was −0.6%. Entitlement passes from the company to shareholders on the ex-day; payment comes later.
2017: $3.902018: $4.702019: $5.162020: $5.672021: $6.162022: $6.762023: $7.342024: $8.052025: $8.992026 so far: $7.25
What followed similar falls?
Including reinvested dividends, Northrop Grumman fell 6.6% over the latest five trading days. Since November 4, 2016, falls at least this large were followed by a higher value 21 trading days later in 12 out of 21 non-overlapping periods. The median was +0.7%, against +0.9% for an ordinary 21-day period, which ended higher 56 times in 100.
Such a fall has not said much about the next month.
+0.7% · 12/21
What to watch next, and why
The earnings report shows how Northrop Grumman's revenue and profit have changed.
- Earnings report
The earnings report shows how Northrop Grumman's revenue and profit have changed.
Add to calendar
Earnings report
Next report: · Add to calendar · Google Calendar
On its last 15 report days Northrop Grumman usually moved about 2.7%. On a normal day it moves 0.9%.
+4.57% −2.23% −6.98% +2.69%
$10,000 in Northrop Grumman bought on November 7, 2016 is worth $26,800 today, with dividends reinvested.
The same amount in S&P 500 with dividends would have become $40,300.
What would $10,000 in Northrop Grumman be worth today? →
What would $10,000 in Northrop Grumman be worth today?
$26,800
with dividends reinvested, bought on November 7, 2016. The same amount in S&P 500 with dividends would have become $40,300.
The five biggest days of the journey
· +13.0% · the whole market rose 6.0% the same day
· −12.7% · the whole market rose 2.5% the same day · report day
· +11.4% · the whole market rose 0.6% the same day
· +11.4% · the whole market rose 6.2% the same day
· −10.1% · the whole market fell 12.0% the same day
Earlier days
−5.83% market −2.70% Northrop Grumman fell sharply over the week, a big move for the stock, and fell more than the S&P 500 and its sector. Read →
Northrop Grumman fell sharply over the week, a big move for the stock, and fell more than the S&P 500 and its sector.
Defense stocks diverged from a broader market rally on Thursday, with Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman hit hard.
Insider share sales were reported but are background only and did not drive the move.
The next earnings report is due on Tuesday 26 January 2027.
−4.53% market +1.65% Northrop Grumman fell, against a rising market. Read →
Northrop Grumman fell, against a rising market.
Northrop Grumman fell far more than the S&P 500, which rose sharply, and more than its sector, which fell clearly.
The news from that session does not clearly explain the drop, so no company news explains it for certain.
The move was very big, rare for this stock, and trading volume was well above normal.
Over the last five trading days the stock fell sharply, while the market fell slightly and the sector was roughly flat.
−0.40% market −0.48% Northrop Grumman fell, an ordinary day for the stock. Read →
Northrop Grumman fell, an ordinary day for the stock.
The S&P 500 also fell slightly, so the stock moved in line with the broad market.
The Industrials sector ETF rose clearly, so the stock moved against its sector.
No company news explains the move.
Over the last five trading days, the stock fell slightly while the S&P 500 fell clearly and the sector ETF rose slightly.
−0.86% market −1.77% Northrop Grumman fell, holding up better than a sharp market drop. Read →
Northrop Grumman fell, holding up better than a sharp market drop.
No company news explains the move.
Over the last five trading days the stock rose slightly while the S&P 500 fell slightly, so it moved against the market.
The market fell sharply in the last session, so the stock held up better than the broad market.
The move was an ordinary size for this stock.
+1.11% market −0.56% Northrop Grumman, the defense contractor listed on the NYSE, rose slightly over the week while the S&P 500 fell slightly, so it moved against the market. Read →
Northrop Grumman, the defense contractor listed on the NYSE, rose slightly over the week while the S&P 500 fell slightly, so it moved against the market.
The Industrials sector rose clearly, so the stock lagged its sector.
Likely drivers were fresh contract news: the US Navy raised a bomb fuze contract ceiling on Thursday 29 October, and a $1.4 billion generator deal for Virginia-class submarines was reported on Friday 30 October.
Bernstein also raised its price target, the share price it sees as fair, to $590 on Tuesday 27 October.
+1.73% market −0.38% Northrop Grumman rose on Thursday, mostly on defense-related company news. Read →
Northrop Grumman rose on Thursday, mostly on defense-related company news.
It moved against a slightly lower S&P 500 and in line with a clearly rising Industrials sector.
Over the last five trading days the stock rose slightly, roughly in step with its sector and a bit ahead of the market.
−2.51% market +0.56% Northrop Grumman fell sharply without a company-news explanation. Read →
Northrop Grumman fell sharply without a company-news explanation.
Over that session the S&P 500 rose clearly, so Northrop Grumman moved against the market, and it also moved against its Industrials sector, which rose slightly.
The stock rose clearly over the last five trading days, while the broad market was roughly flat, so the recent trend has been up.
Earlier, JPMorgan kept a neutral rating (a view that the shares are fairly priced) and raised its price target (the share price it sees as fair) to $605 the day before.
+2.53% market +0.71% Northrop Grumman rose sharply without a company-news explanation. Read →
Northrop Grumman rose sharply without a company-news explanation.
Over the same session the S&P 500 rose clearly, and the Industrials sector ETF (a fund that tracks the sector) rose sharply, so the stock moved about in line with its sector and more than the broad market.
The most likely drivers are the price target raises from JPMorgan and Jefferies, which are analysts' estimates of a fair share price, plus heavy defense-sector news flow such as drone and counter-drone market reports.
Over the last five trading days the stock rose very sharply, while the S&P 500 and the Industrials sector were roughly flat, a very big move for this stock.
Next earnings report: Tuesday 26 January 2027.
+6.07% market −0.43% Northrop Grumman rose sharply over the last five trading days, a big move for the company, while the broader market slipped slightly. Read →
Northrop Grumman rose sharply over the last five trading days, a big move for the company, while the broader market slipped slightly.
The main driver was the third quarter earnings report released early in the week, which beat expectations, with sales up 7 percent and a record backlog of orders.
Analysts then raised their price targets, the share prices they see as fair value, and the stock gained ground against a weaker sector.
Next, the company reports its fourth quarter results on 26 January 2027.
+2.42% market −1.18% Northrop Grumman rose sharply on record backlog outlook. Read →
Northrop Grumman rose sharply on record backlog outlook.
Northrop Grumman rose sharply in the last session, while the S&P 500 fell sharply.
The shares moved against both the broader market and their sector, which also fell.
The likely reason is the earnings release, which showed a record backlog, meaning a large pile of contracts still to be delivered, and raised full-year guidance, the company's own profit outlook.
Rivals Lockheed Martin and RTX also rose strongly on the same news, partly lifting the sector theme.
Learn more · Why do stocks go up and down?