Northrop Grumman flies Talon Blue: Northrop Grumman stock yields 2.10 percent
Published on 10/05/2026 at 12:28 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Northrop Grumman (ISIN US6668071029) was trading at EUR 426.90 at Lang & Schwarz on October 5, 2026 at 12:19 p.m. CEST, up 0.39 percent from the EUR 425.25 prior close. On October 3, 2026, the company completed the first fully autonomous flight of its YFQ-48A Talon Blue, while its quarterly figures show both growth and execution pressure.
Talon Blue completes autonomous flight
Northrop Grumman said on October 3, 2026, that the YFQ-48A completed taxiing, takeoff, in-flight maneuvers and landing without a pilot. The company said the program combines modular design and advanced manufacturing to support lower cost and faster production, and that its autonomy work has accumulated more than 500,000 flight hours.
The flight gives Northrop Grumman a concrete operating milestone in autonomous airpower. Its importance is commercial as well as technical because the company is positioning Project Talon around scalable production rather than a one-off demonstration.
Revenue grows as margins face pressure
In the second quarter of 2026, Northrop Grumman generated USD 10.88 billion in revenue, up 5.10 percent from the prior-year quarter. The company also reported diluted earnings per share of USD 7.68, above the USD 6.82 consensus estimate, according to the MarketBeat report dated October 2, 2026.
The same quarter brought adjusted free cash flow of USD 1.00 billion and a record backlog of USD 105.00 billion, according to the Fortune transcript of the July 21, 2026 earnings call. The counterweight was margin pressure from the GEM 63XL and SiAW programs, which management linked to higher projected costs.
October results set the next test
Management raised fiscal 2026 sales guidance to USD 43.75 billion to USD 44.25 billion and adjusted earnings-per-share guidance to USD 28.60 to USD 29.10 in the second quarter. Northrop Grumman has scheduled its third-quarter 2026 results for October 20, 2026, before the US market opens, according to its investor-relations announcement dated September 17, 2026.
For investors, the next report will connect the autonomous-airpower milestone with the companys financial priorities: converting a USD 105.00 billion backlog into sales while repairing program-level margins. That combination, rather than the Talon Blue flight alone, will determine whether Northrop Grummans higher guidance remains supported.
Stock stays below its recent range
The USD 478.00 primary-exchange quote for Northrop Grumman was dated October 2, 2026, while the 52-week range was USD 470.06 to USD 774.00. The Lang & Schwarz quote stood at EUR 426.90 on October 5, 2026 at 12:19 p.m. CEST, plus 0.39 percent versus the Lang & Schwarz prior close of EUR 425.25. The further course of trading is shown by the continuously updated real-time quote of Northrop Grumman stock.
Northrop Grumman stock facts
- Company: Northrop Grumman Corporation
- ISIN: US6668071029
- Ticker: NOC
- Primary exchange: NYSE
- Price Lang & Schwarz as of October 5, 2026, 12:19 p.m. CEST: EUR 426.90
- Change versus prior close: plus 0.39 percent
- Prior close Lang & Schwarz October 2, 2026: EUR 425.25
- Market capitalization: USD 67.9 billion (as of October 2, 2026)
- 52-week range: USD 470.06-774.00 (as of October 2, 2026)
- Sector / Industry: Industrials / Aerospace and Defense
- Next earnings date: October 20, 2026
