Ultime notizie per Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) Azioni

Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman is a diversified defense contractor providing aeronautics, defense, and space systems. The company's aerospace segment creates the fuselage for the massive F-35 program and produces autonomous and piloted aircraft such as Global Hawk drones and the new B-21 bomber. Defense systems makes artillery and missile ammunition and guidance systems, missile defense systems, and maintains and upgrades numerous military aircraft. Mission systems creates and integrates a variety of radar, navigation, and communication systems for avionics, weapons control, and countermeasures on a range of platforms from helicopters to destroyers. Finally, space systems produces satellites, sensors, space structures, and manufactures long-range missiles and rocket motors.

Northrop Grumman Corporation Common Stock

Northrop Grumman Corp

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NORDEN CROWN METALS CORP by Norden Crown Metals Corp.

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Innovator Growth-100 Power Buffer ETF- October

Barclays analyst David Strauss maintains Northrop Grumman (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NOC#NYSE">NOC</a>) with a Equal-Weight and raises the price target from $500 to $550.

News

Price Target

Analyst Ratings

Barclays Maintains Equal-Weight on Northrop Grumman, Raises Price Target to $550

Trading Ideas

BlackSky Technology Inc. Class A Common Stock

BKSY

IRDM

MNTS

RKLB

SPCE

SPIR

U.S. Senator Jerry Moran Urges FAA To Speed Up Rocket Launch Licensing Process, 'Troubled' By 'Regulatory Inefficiency,'

UBS analyst Gavin Parsons maintains Northrop Grumman (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NOC#NYSE">NOC</a>) with a Buy and raises the price target from $614 to $643.

UBS Maintains Buy on Northrop Grumman, Raises Price Target to $643

RBC Capital analyst Ken Herbert maintains Northrop Grumman (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NOC#NYSE">NOC</a>) with a Sector Perform and raises the price target from $500 to $540.

RBC Capital Maintains Sector Perform on Northrop Grumman, Raises Price Target to $540

Susquehanna analyst Charles Minervino maintains Northrop Grumman (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NOC#NYSE">NOC</a>) with a Positive and raises the price target from $560 to $625.

Susquehanna Maintains Positive on Northrop Grumman, Raises Price Target to $625

Wells Fargo analyst Matthew Akers maintains Northrop Grumman (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NOC#NYSE">NOC</a>) with a Equal-Weight and raises the price target from $509 to $565.

Wells Fargo Maintains Equal-Weight on Northrop Grumman, Raises Price Target to $565

WIIM

Northrop Grumman shares are trading higher after the company reported better-than-expected Q3 EPS results and raised its FY24 adjusted EPS guidance outlook.

Northrop Grumman Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NOC#NYSE">NOC</a>) reported third-quarter financial results before the open on Thursday. Here&#8217;s a look at the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/24/10/g41512327/northrop-grumman-releases-third-quarter-2024-financial-results">key highlights from the quarter</a>.
What Happened: Northrop Grumman reported third-quarter revenue of $9.996 billion, missing the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/calendars/earnings" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">consensus estimate</a>&nbsp;of $10.181 billion, according to&nbsp;<a href="http://pro.benzinga.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Pro</a>. The company reported quarterly earnings of $7 per share, beating analyst estimates of $6.08 per share.
Aeronautics Systems sales increased 4% year-over-year primarily due to higher F-35 production. Defense Systems sales increased 2% year-over-year primarily due to higher volume on the Sentinel program, ramp-up on the Stand-in Attack Weapon program and higher volume on certain military ammunition programs. Mission Systems revenue increased 7% year-over-year and Space Systems revenue grew 3%. 
Net awards in the third quarter totaled $11.7 billion. The company said it had a backlog of $84.8 billion at quarter&#8217;s end.
"Based on the strength of our year-to-date results and our positive outlook for the future, we are once again raising our 2024 guidance. Sales remain on target for 5% growth this year and the deliberate actions we are taking to improve margin rates have resulted in further expansion this quarter," said Kathy Warden, chair, president and CEO of Northrop Grumman.
"With our investments to create capacity and focus on performance, we continue to deliver value for our customers and our shareholders. As we look toward 2025, our outlook includes continued top line growth, margin rate expansion and greater than 20% free cash flow growth."
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/10/41507795/boeing-machinists-reject-35-wage-hike-deal-extending-5-week-strike-amid-6b-loss-and-cash-burn-wa">Boeing Machinists Reject 35% Wage Hike Deal, Extending 5-Week Strike Amid $6B Loss And Cash Burn Warnings</a>
Northrop Grumman expects 2024 sales to be in the range of $41 billion to $41.4 billion versus estimates of $41.36 billion. The company raised its full-year earnings outlook from a range of $24.90 to $25.30 to a new range of $25.65 to $26.05, versus estimates of $25.20. Northrop anticipates full-year free cash flow of $2.25 billion to $2.65 billion.
Management will hold a conference call to discuss these results at 9 a.m. ET.
NOC Price Action: Northrop Grumman shares were up 1.19% at $522.55 at the time of publication Thursday morning, according to <a href="http://pro.benzinga.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Pro</a>.
Photo: courtesy of Northrop Grumman.

Earnings

Movers

Northrop Grumman Reports Mixed Q3 Earnings: The Details

Investors could see some respite on Wall Street as the index futures point to a positive start on Thursday after three straight days of losses. EV giant Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) blew <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/10/41509528/tesla-bull-gary-black-praises-ev-giants-clean-beat-in-q3-as-auto-margins-blow-past-">past expectations in terms of margins</a> and earnings per share (EPS), although it missed revenue expectations.
Dow Jones experienced its worst session in over a month, while megacap stocks like Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) fell by over 2%. Amid this, Nvidia supplier SK Hynix <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/10/41509305/nvidia-supplier-sk-hynix-reports-record-breaking-quarterly-profit-as-ai-demand-drives-7-revenue-">reported a record quarterly profit </a>on the back of a boom in artificial intelligence.
Boeing Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BA#NYSE">BA</a>) reported a loss in its third quarter, while AT&amp;T (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/T#NYSE">T</a>) posted better-than-expected earnings.
Tesla will be among the stocks in focus today. Dow Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DOW#NYSE">DOW</a>), American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAL#NASDAQ">AAL</a>), United Parcel Service Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UPS#NASDAQ">UPS</a>), Honeywell International Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HON#NASDAQ">HON</a>), Northrop Grumman Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NOC#NYSE">NOC</a>), and Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LUV#NYSE">LUV</a>) are scheduled to announce their earnings today.
Investors will also keep a close eye on Boeing <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/10/41507795/boeing-machinists-reject-35-wage-hike-deal-extending-5-week-strike-amid-6b-loss-and-cash-burn-wa">after its machinists rejected a 35% wage hike deal</a> and extended their ongoing strike against the company. Workers were dissatisfied with the pension plan and wanted a bigger hike to deal with a rise in the cost of living.
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<table>
<tbody>
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<td>Futures</td>
<td>Performance (+/-)</td>
</tr>
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<td>Nasdaq 100</td>
<td>0.75%</td>
</tr>
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<td>S&amp;P 500</td>
<td>0.40%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dow Jones</td>
<td>-0.11%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>R2K</td>
<td>0.43%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
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In premarket trading on Thursday, the SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) rose 0.42% to $580.42 and the Invesco QQQ ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>) surged 0.77% to $492.14, according to <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/lxquj26b2sag">Benzinga Pro data</a>.
Cues From Last Session:
Along with the Dow, the Nasdaq Composite recorded its third straight session in the red, dragged down by tech stocks.
Most sectors on the S&amp;P 500 closed on a negative note, with consumer discretionary, information technology, and communication services stocks recording the biggest losses on Wednesday. However, real estate and utilities stocks bucked the overall market trend, closing the session higher.
Rising treasury yields and the possible outcome of the Nov. 5 presidential election results played on the minds of investors.
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<td>Index</td>
<td>Performance (+/-)</td>
<td>Value</td>
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<td>Nasdaq Composite</td>
<td>-1.60%</td>
<td>18,276.65</td>
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<td>S&amp;P 500</td>
<td>-0.92%</td>
<td>5,797.42</td>
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<td>Dow Jones</td>
<td>-0.96%</td>
<td>42,514.95</td>
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<td>Russell 2000</td>
<td>-0.79%</td>
<td>2,213.84</td>
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Insights From Analysts:
Following six consecutive weeks of gains, the markets have remained gloomy this week, with tech stocks offering some respite amid sideways movements in most other sectors.
Benchmark US 10-year treasury yields remain in focus, which rose to their highest mark since July.
On the economic data front, U.S. existing home sales declined 1% from the previous month to an annualized rate of 3.84 million in September.
The International Monetary Fund, though, <a href="https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/Issues/2024/10/22/world-economic-outlook-october-2024">expects</a> U.S. growth to remain strong. According to its latest World Economic Outlook report, the IMF revised its projected U.S. GDP growth rate to 2.8%, up from its previous projection of 2.6%.
"On the equity front, corporate earnings are strong and with the VIX (the CBOE&#8217;s volatility index) still elevated around 20, this is not the backdrop for the start of a bear market," explained WisdomTree and Wharton School economist Jeremy Siegel.
"The current under-loved bull market could see significant upside. While I&#8217;m not predicting a &#8216;melt-up,&#8217; it is important to acknowledge the market&#8217;s upward momentum could continue as fundamentals remain supportive,&#8221; Siegel added.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/best-futures-trading-software">Best Futures Trading Software</a>
Upcoming Economic Data:
<ul>
<li>Data on initial jobless claims is scheduled to be released at 8:30 a.m. ET.</li>
<li>Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack&nbsp;is scheduled to speak at 8:45 a.m. ET.</li>
<li>New home sales data is scheduled to be released at 10 a.m. ET.</li>
</ul>
Stocks In Focus:
<ul>
<li>Tesla will<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/10/41510859/tesla-soars-in-thursday-pre-market-heres-whats-driving-the-surge"> stay in focus </a>after beating margin and EPS estimates in its third-quarter earnings.</li>
<li>IBM (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NYSE">IBM</a>) missed third-quarter revenue estimates on account of a drag in consulting revenue.</li>
<li>AT&amp;T added over 403,000 new monthly subscribers in the third quarter, reporting $30.2 billion in revenue.</li>
</ul>
Commodities, Bonds And Global Equity Markets:
Crude oil futures rose in the early New York session, surging over 1.5% as data showed a rise in spot demand.
The 10-year Treasury note yield fell marginally to 4.192%.
Asian markets were mixed on Thursday, with Chinese markets edging lower while Japan's Nikkei 225 rose.
European stocks moved past tentativeness in early trading, surging after a gloomy week so far.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/10/41507397/bitcoin-ethereum-dogecoin-sink-amid-stocks-decline-treasury-yields-climb-analyst-sees-prom">Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin Sink Amid Stocks Decline, Treasury Yields Climb: Analyst Sees &#8216;Promising Signs&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>
Image generated using AI tools

Equities

Futures

Previews

Economics

Federal Reserve

Pre-Market Outlook

Markets

AAPL

NVDA

TSLA

US Stocks Set To Open Higher As Tesla's Strong Profit Margins Win Over Wall Street: Wharton Economist Says 'Under-Loved' Bull Market Could See 'Significant Upside'

Northrop Grumman Q3 backlog $85B

Guidance

Northrop Grumman Raises FY24 Adj EPS Outlook To $25.65-$26.05 ($24.90-$25.30  Prior) vs $25.20 Estimate; Affirms Sales Outlook Of $41.00B-$41.40B vs $41.36B Estimate

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NOC#NYSE">NOC</a>) reported quarterly earnings of $7.00 per share which beat the analyst consensus estimate of $6.08 by 15.13 percent. This is a 13.27 percent increase over earnings of $6.18 per share from the same period last year. The company reported quarterly sales of $9.996 billion which missed the analyst consensus estimate of $10.181 billion by 1.82 percent. This is a 2.26 percent increase over sales of $9.775 billion the same period last year.

Earnings Beats

Earnings Misses

Northrop Grumman Q3 2024 GAAP EPS $7.00 Beats $6.08 Estimate, Sales $9.996B Miss $10.181B Estimate

Northrop Grumman's (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NOC#NYSE">NOC</a>) short percent of float has fallen 8.26% since its last report. The company recently reported that it has 1.46 million shares sold short, which is 1.0% of all regular shares that are available for trading. Based on its trading volume, it would take traders 2.48 days to cover their short positions on average.
<h3>Why Short Interest Matters</h3>
Short interest is the number of shares that have been sold short but have not yet been covered or closed out. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-short-a-stock/">Short selling</a> is when a trader sells shares of a company they do not own, with the hope that the price will fall. Traders make money from short selling if the price of the stock falls and they lose if it rises.
Short interest is important to track because it can act as an indicator of market sentiment towards a particular stock. An increase in short interest can signal that investors have become more bearish, while a decrease in short interest can signal they have become more bullish.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/short-interest">List of the most shorted stocks</a>
<h3>Northrop Grumman Short Interest Graph (3 Months)</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1729528212_0.png" alt="short_fig" />
As you can see from the chart above the percentage of shares that are sold short for Northrop Grumman has declined since its last report. This does not mean that the stock is going to rise in the near-term but traders should be aware that less shares are being shorted.
<h3>Comparing Northrop Grumman's Short Interest Against Its Peers</h3>
Peer comparison is a popular technique amongst analysts and investors for gauging how well a company is performing. A company's peer is another company that has similar characteristics to it, such as industry, size, age, and financial structure. You can find a company's peer group by reading its 10-K, proxy filing, or by doing your own similarity analysis.
According to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/">Benzinga Pro</a>, Northrop Grumman's peer group average for short interest as a percentage of float is 3.03%, which means the company has less short interest than most of its peers.
Did you know that increasing short interest can actually be bullish for a stock? <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-make-money-on-a-short-squeeze/">This post by Benzinga Money explains how you can profit from it.</a>
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and was reviewed by an editor.

Short Sellers

Short Ideas

Peering Into Northrop Grumman's Recent Short Interest

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NOC#NYSE">NOC</a>) has outperformed the market over the past 10 years by 3.33% on an annualized basis producing an average annual return of 14.68%. Currently, Northrop Grumman has a market capitalization of $77.63 billion. 
Buying $1000 In NOC: If an investor had bought $1000 of NOC stock 10 years ago, it would be worth $4,036.78 today based on a price of $530.79 for NOC at the time of writing.
<h3>Northrop Grumman's Performance Over Last 10 Years</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1729524633_0.png" alt="comp_fig" />
Finally -- what's the point of all this? The key insight to take from this article is to note how much of a difference compounded returns can make in your cash growth over a period of time.
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

If You Invested $1000 In This Stock 10 Years Ago, You Would Have $4,000 Today

Biden Administration To Ease Export Controls For U.S. Space Companies Shipping Satellite And Spacecraft-Related Items To Allies; Easing Restrictions On Remote Sensing Spacecraft And Space-Based Logistics Assembly For Shipments To Australia, Canada, And The UK, Sources Say

~ 100% leased, triple net asset with annual rent escalations ~
Easterly Government Properties, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DEA#NYSE">DEA</a>) (the "Company" or "Easterly"), a fully integrated real estate investment trust focused primarily on the acquisition, development and management of Class A commercial properties leased to the U.S. Government and its adjacent partners, announced today that it has acquired a 104,136 square foot facility 100% leased to Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NOC#NYSE">NOC</a>, S&amp;amp, , P: BBB+)))), a multinational aerospace and defense company, located in Aurora, Colorado ("Northrop Grumman - Aurora").
The facility, developed in 2002, was built-to-suit for TRW Inc., an aerospace and automotive corporation acquired by Northrop Grumman in that same year. Approximately 70% of the three-floor buildout is constructed under secure design standards as required by the U.S. Government related to the tenant's contracts with Buckley Space Force Base ("Buckley SFB"). This secure space is certified and accredited as meeting Director of National Intelligence security standards for the processing, storage, and discussion of sensitive compartmented information.

Easterly Government Properties Acquires 104,136 SF Facility Adjacent To Buckley Space Force Base And Occupied By Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation; No Financial Terms Disclosed

JP Morgan analyst Seth Seifman maintains Northrop Grumman (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NOC#NYSE">NOC</a>) with a Neutral and raises the price target from $500 to $560.

JP Morgan Maintains Neutral on Northrop Grumman, Raises Price Target to $560

Citigroup analyst Jason Gursky maintains Northrop Grumman (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NOC#NYSE">NOC</a>) with a Neutral and raises the price target from $521 to $587.

Citigroup Maintains Neutral on Northrop Grumman, Raises Price Target to $587

L3Harris Technologies Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LHX#NYSE">LHX</a>) received a notable upgrade on Thursday from Wolfe Research analyst Myles Walton, who moved the stock from Peer Perform to Outperform and set a new price target of $300. The target suggests a potential <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/LHX/analyst-ratings">upside of nearly 24%.</a>
What To Know: The Wolfe Research analyst cited improving sales growth, margin expansion and free cash flow per share as key drivers for the optimism around L3Harris.
After lagging behind competitors over the past year, the aerospace and defense company is positioned for an upward shift in sales growth, with the potential to converge with industry peers Lockheed Martin Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LMT#NYSE">LMT</a>) and Northrop Grumman Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NOC#NYSE">NOC</a>) by 2025 or 2026, Walton said, calling it a &#8220;turning point&#8221; for L3Harris.
The analyst expects company sales to grow by 3% to 5% in 2025 and 5% in 2026, driven by strong performance in its core businesses, particularly in its Communication Systems, Space and Airborne Systems and Aerojet Rocketdyne divisions.
Walton also noted that the company's margins are already 400 basis points higher than its peers. The analyst further pointed out that management raised its margin target to over 16% by 2026, citing ongoing cost-cutting initiatives, including a 5% workforce reduction and facility consolidation. Walton expects this margin growth to lead to robust free cash flow per share expansion in the mid-teens range in 2026.
Check This Out: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/10/41278865/stocks-dip-as-inflation-slows-less-than-expected-oil-prices-spike-due-to-hurricane-disruptions-m">Stocks Dip As Inflation Slows Less Than Expected, Oil Prices Spike Due To Hurricane Disruptions, Middle East Tensions: What&#8217;s Driving Markets Thursday?</a>
As L3Harris&#8217; performance continues to improve, the valuation gap with larger defense companies is likely to narrow, the analyst said. His price target is based on a 15% valuation discount relative to the multiples of Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. Lockheed has a price-to-earnings multiple of approximately 21 and Northrop&#8217;s multiple is around 19.5. L3Harris is trading around 17 times forward earnings, according to data from <a href="http://pro.benzinga.com">Benzinga Pro</a>.
Despite the positive outlook, Walton acknowledged that there are risks. The company has trailed peers in growth and continues to deal with some uncertainties related to Aerojet Rocketdyne. However, the analyst believes these concerns are beginning to ease and L3Harris is positioned to address investor concerns moving forward through a renewed focus on growth and margin expansion.
LHX Price Action: L3Harris Technologies shares were down by 0.15% at $241.85 at the time of writing, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro.</a>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://benzinga.slack.com/archives/D072651PB4K/p1727794380964569"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="546" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/10130529/LHX-1024x546.png" alt="" class="wp-image-589923" style="width:497px;height:auto" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/10130529/LHX-1024x546.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/10130529/LHX-300x160.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/10130529/LHX-768x409.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/10130529/LHX.png 1077w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure>
See Also:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/24/10/41277446/marriott-settles-data-breach-case-with-52m-payout-focuses-on-security-upgrades">Marriott Settles Data Breach Case With $52M Payout, Focuses On Security Upgrades</a></li>
</ul>
Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Analyst Color

L3Harris Analyst Sees 'Turning Point' For Growth, Attractive Valuation Driving Outperformance

Lockheed Martin Corp. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/lmt#NYSE">LMT</a>) announced that its board of directors approved a 4.8% hike in its quarterly dividend to $3.30 per share, marking the 22nd consecutive annual dividend hike. The revised quarterly dividend is payable on Dec. 27, 2024, to shareholders of record at the close of the business on Dec. 2, 2024.
The company&#39;s new annualized dividend rate is $13.20. The current dividend yield is 2.08%, better than the Zacks S&amp;P 500 composite&#39;s 1.24%.
Along with dividend payments, Lockheed&#39;s management continues to increase shareholder value by repurchasing shares. The board authorized an additional $3 billion for share repurchases, which resulted in a total authorization under the repurchase program of nearly $10 billion.
<h2>Can Lockheed Sustain Dividend Hikes?</h2>
Lockheed has a platform-centric focus and leveraged presence in the Army, Air Force, Navy and IT programs of the U.S. Department of Defense that guarantee a steady inflow of follow-on orders. The company continues to clinch big defense deals from the U.S. government and allied countries. As a consequence, it exited the second quarter of 2024 with a record backlog of $158.3 billion, backed by increasing demand and a rising global defense budget. This shall boost LMT&#39;s sales growth and cash flow in the coming quarters.
Apart from domestic orders, the company also enjoys the advantage of having a wide international customer base. In the second quarter of 2024, 25.8% of total net sales were from international customers. The company is focused on expanding its international footprint, which continues to support earnings.
Lockheed Martin is the largest U.S. defense contractor with a platform-centric focus that guarantees a steady inflow of follow-on orders from its leveraged presence in the Army, Air Force, Navy and IT programs. The F-35 program continues to be a key growth program for Lockheed. The production of F-35 jets is expected to continue for many years ahead, given the U.S. government&#39;s current inventory target of 2,456 aircraft for the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy. This will support its top line and boost its earnings.
Courtesy of Lockheed&#39;s global presence, strong backlog, F-35 program and contract wins, the company continues to generate strong operating cash flow, which provides assurance that it will be able to sustain shareholder-friendly moves in the future as well.
<h2>Other Aerospace Companies&#39; Recent Dividend Hikes</h2>
Here are some defense companies that have been rewarding shareholders with impressive dividend payouts. 
On May 14, 2024, Northrop Grumman Corp. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/noc#NYSE">NOC</a>) announced that its board of directors approved a 10% hike in its quarterly dividend to $2.06 per share, marking the 21st consecutive annual dividend hike. 
Northrop boasts a long-term (three to five years) earnings growth rate of 8.7%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NOC&#39;s 2024 sales implies an improvement of 5.4% from the previous year&#39;s level.
On May 10, 2024, Curtiss-Wright (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/cw#NYSE">CW</a>) announced that its board of directors declared a 5% increase in the quarterly dividend to 21 cents per share. The company authorized an additional $300 million for future share repurchases, increasing the total available authorization to $400 million.
Curtiss-Wright boasts a four-quarter earnings surprise of 11.52%, on average. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CW&#39;s 2024 sales implies an improvement of 7.1% from the prior-year figure.
On May 2, 2024, RTX Technologies (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/rtx#NYSE">RTX</a>) announced a dividend of 63 cents per, calling for an increase of 6.8% over the prior quarter&#39;s dividend amount.
RTX Technologies has a long-term earnings growth rate of 10.4%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for RTX&#39;s 2024 sales calls for an improvement of 7% from the prior-year figure.
<h2>LMT Stock Price Movement</h2>
In the past three months, shares of LMT have rallied 31.1% compared with its industry&#39;s rise of 12.2%.
<img alt="Zacks Investment Research" src="https://staticx-tuner.zacks.com/images/articles/charts/68/80333.jpg?v=301050165" />
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
<h2>LMT&#39;s Zacks Rank</h2>
Lockheed Martin currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
<a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2345980/lockheed-shares-more-profit-raises-dividend-buyback-authorization?cid=CS-BENZ-FT-analyst_blog|company_news_corporate_actions-2345980">To read this article on Zacks.com click here.</a>

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Northrop Grumman price target raised to $605 from $592 at Morgan Stanley

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Northrop Grumman price target raised to $600 from $565 at BTIG

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Northrop Grumman price target raised to $550 from $500 at Barclays

Northrop Grumman (NOC) was awarded a $167.93M modification to a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This modificati...

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