NOC Hits Record High as Trading Volume Ranks 285th on Market Activity

On August 22, 2025, Northrop Grumman (NOC) closed at $592.44, down 0.80% with a trading volume of $0.37 billion, ranking 285th in market activity. The stock has reached a new all-time high of $600 earlier in the week, driven by robust second-quarter earnings and strategic contract wins. Earnings per share for Q2 hit $8.15, surpassing estimates of $6.84, while revenue exceeded expectations, reinforcing investor confidence. Analysts including Bernstein, RBC, and Truist raised price targets to $630–$625, citing growth in the B-21 program and international demand.

Analyst sentiment has shifted positively, with Citigroup upgrading NOC to Buy in January 2025 and Goldman Sachs revising its stance to Neutral in April. The company’s recent win of the Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI) contract with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency and advancements in projects like the Manta Ray underwater drone underscore its leadership in defense innovation. However, insider activity saw CEO Kathy J. Warden sell 7,500 shares in June, totaling $3.79 million, raising questions about executive sentiment amid the stock’s rally.

A strategy of buying the top 500 stocks by daily trading volume and holding for one day from 2022 to 2025 yielded a 31.52% total return, with a 0.98% average daily gain. The approach had a Sharpe ratio of 0.79 but faced a maximum drawdown of -29.16%, highlighting its exposure to market volatility.