Taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for new and old investors alike.
While you may have an investing style you rely on, finding great stocks is made easier with the Zacks Style Scores. These are complementary indicators that rate stocks based on value, growth, and/or momentum characteristics.
Different than growth or momentum investors, value-focused investors are all about finding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under what their true value is before the broader market catches on. The Value Style Score utilizes ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, and Price/Cash Flow to help pick out the most attractive and discounted stocks.
Originally formed in 1939 as Northrop Aircraft Incorporated and reincorporated in 1985 as Northrop Corporation in Delaware, Northrop was a principal developer of flying wing technology. In 1994, the company acquired Grumman Corporation (Grumman), after which the company was renamed Northrop Grumman Corporation. Currently, this global security company supplies a broad array of products like space systems, military aircraft, missile defense, advanced weapons and long-range fire capabilities, mission systems, networking and communications, strategic deterrence systems, and breakthrough technologies, such as advanced computing, microelectronics and cyber. As of Dec 31, 2024, the company operates through the following reportable segments:
NOC is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock, with a Value Style Score of B and VGM Score of B. Shares are currently trading at a forward P/E of 17.7X for the current fiscal year compared to the Aerospace - Defense industry's P/E of 19X. Additionally, NOC has a PEG Ratio of 4.2 and a Price/Cash Flow ratio of 13.8X. Value investors should also note NOC's Price/Sales ratio of 1.8X.
Many value investors pay close attention to a company's earnings as well. For NOC, four analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days, and the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.24 to $28.03 per share for 2025. Per share NOC boasts an average earnings surprise of 8.1%.
With strong valuation and earnings metrics, a good Zacks Rank, and top-tier Value and VGM Style Scores, investors should strongly think about adding NOC to their portfolios.
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Northrop Grumman Corporation (NOC) : Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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