Northrop Grumman Co. (NYSE:NOC) Shares Sold by Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC

Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC decreased its position in Northrop Grumman Co. (NYSE:NOC) by 1.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,794 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after selling 50 shares during the quarter. Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $1,311,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in Northrop Grumman in the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Northrop Grumman in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $36,000. Albion Financial Group UT acquired a new stake in Northrop Grumman during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Northrop Grumman during the third quarter worth approximately $40,000. Finally, Modus Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Northrop Grumman in the fourth quarter worth approximately $38,000. Institutional investors own 83.40% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Benjamin R. Davies sold 1,156 shares of Northrop Grumman stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $532.93, for a total transaction of $616,067.08. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 537 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $286,183.41. This trade represents a 68.28 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 1,255 shares of company stock valued at $663,859. 0.22% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on NOC shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Northrop Grumman from $500.00 to $560.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, October 14th. Citigroup raised Northrop Grumman from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $587.00 target price for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. StockNews.com raised Northrop Grumman from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, January 19th. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman from $614.00 to $643.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Northrop Grumman from $500.00 to $540.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $550.94.

Northrop Grumman Stock Performance

NOC opened at $503.09 on Tuesday. Northrop Grumman Co. has a 12-month low of $418.60 and a 12-month high of $555.57. The firm has a market capitalization of $73.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 0.35. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $478.66 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $496.86. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00.

Northrop Grumman announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback program on Wednesday, December 11th that permits the company to repurchase $3.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the aerospace company to buy up to 4.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are generally a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Northrop Grumman Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 18th. Investors of record on Monday, December 2nd were given a dividend of $2.06 per share. This represents a $8.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.64%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 2nd. Northrop Grumman’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 51.05%.

Northrop Grumman 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.