LVM Capital Management Ltd. MI Raises Stock Position in Northrop Grumman Co. (NYSE:NOC)

LVM Capital Management Ltd. MI boosted its position in Northrop Grumman Co. (NYSE:NOC) by 4.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 32,602 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,470 shares during the quarter. Northrop Grumman comprises 1.6% of LVM Capital Management Ltd. MI’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest position. LVM Capital Management Ltd. MI’s holdings in Northrop Grumman were worth $15,300,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of NOC. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new stake in Northrop Grumman during the third quarter valued at $31,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Northrop Grumman by 245.5% in the second quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 76 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Northrop Grumman in the third quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Modus Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Northrop Grumman in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Finally, Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Northrop Grumman during the third quarter valued at approximately $40,000. 83.40% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Northrop Grumman Trading Down 0.7 %

Shares of NYSE:NOC traded down $3.07 on Friday, hitting $459.14. The company had a trading volume of 283,413 shares, compared to its average volume of 699,665. Northrop Grumman Co. has a 1 year low of $418.60 and a 1 year high of $555.57. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $485.71 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $492.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $66.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.45, a P/E/G ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 0.35.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The aerospace company reported $7.00 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.07 by $0.93. The firm had revenue of $10 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.18 billion. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 26.57% and a net margin of 5.79%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $6.18 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Northrop Grumman Co. will post 25.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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

Northrop Grumman Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 18th. Investors of record on Monday, December 2nd were paid a dividend of $2.06 per share. This represents a $8.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.79%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 2nd. Northrop Grumman’s payout ratio is currently 51.05%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

NOC has been the topic of several research reports. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman from $521.00 to $587.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 10th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on Northrop Grumman from $500.00 to $540.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. TD Cowen upgraded Northrop Grumman to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Northrop Grumman from $500.00 to $560.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, October 14th. Finally, Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Northrop Grumman from $550.00 to $500.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Northrop Grumman currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $551.40.

About Northrop Grumman

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.