NOC

A month has gone by since the last earnings report for Northrop Grumman (NOC). Shares have lost about 6.4% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500. But investors have to be wondering, will the recent negative trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Northrop Grumman due for a breakout? Well, first let's take a quick look at the most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the recent drivers for Northrop Grumman Corporation before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late. Northrop Grumman Q1 Earnings Surpass Estimates, Sales Increase Y/YNorthrop Grumman reported first-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of $6.14 per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $6.08 by 1%. The bottom line also improved 1.3% from the year-ago quarter’s level of $6.06.The year-over-year growth can be attributed to higher revenues and lower operating costs and expenses during the quarter. NOC’s total sales of $9.88 billion in the first quarter beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $9.79 billion by 1%. The top line also improved 4.4% from $9.47 billion reported in the year-ago quarter. The company’s total backlog was $95.61 billion at the end of the first quarter compared with $95.68 billion at the end of fourth-quarter 2025. Aeronautics Systems: This segment’s sales of $3.28 billion rose 16.7% year over year, driven by higher sales from B-21 and other restricted programs, as well as increased volume on the E-130J TACAMO program.The unit’s operating income totaled $305 million against the operating loss of $183 million in the first quarter of 2025. Its operating profit margin also improved to 9.3% from an operating loss margin of 6.5% in the first quarter of 2025.Mission Systems: Sales in this segment increased 1.9% to $2.86 billion. This was driven by ramp-up on restricted airborne radar programs and higher volume on marine systems programs.The unit’s operating income increased 19.9% to $433 million. The operating margin expanded 220 basis points (bps) to 15.1%.Defense Systems: This segment’s sales rose 5.2% year over year to $1.90 billion. This improvement was driven by the continued ramp-up of the Sentinel program, as well as the higher volume of tactical solid rocket motor programs and the Integrated Battle Command System portfolio.The unit’s operating income improved 2.8% year over year to $184 million. The...

The end of the earnings season is always a good time to take a step back and see who shined (and who not so much). Let’s take a look at how defense contractors stocks fared in Q1, starting with Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC). Defense contractors typically require technical expertise and government clearance. Companies in this sector can also enjoy long-term contracts with government bodies, leading to more predictable revenues. Combined, these factors create high barriers to entry and can lead to limited competition. Lately, geopolitical tensions–whether it be Russia’s invasion of Ukraine or China’s aggression towards Taiwan–highlight the need for defense spending. On the other hand, demand for these products can ebb and flow with defense budgets and even who is president, as different administrations can have vastly different ideas of how to allocate federal funds. The 13 defense contractors stocks we track reported a very strong Q1. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 3.4% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 2% below. Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 5.3% since the latest earnings results. Responsible for the development of the first stealth bomber, Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) specializes in providing aerospace, defense, and security solutions for various industry applications. Northrop Grumman reported revenues of $9.88 billion, up 4.4% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 1.2%. Despite the top-line beat, it was still a mixed quarter for the company with an impressive beat of analysts’ organic revenue estimates but a miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates. The stock is down 16.4% since reporting and currently trades at $549.51. Read our full report on Northrop Grumman here, it’s free. Founded in 1981, Mercury Systems (NASDAQ:MRCY) specializes in providing processing subsystems and components for primarily defense applications. Mercury Systems reported revenues of $235.8 million, up 11.5% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 14.2%. The business had an incredible quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS and EBITDA estimates. Mercury Systems scored the biggest analyst estimates beat among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 10.9% since reporting. It currently trades at $91.98. Is now...

Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB), a launch services and space systems provider, closed Friday at $105.55, up 34.32%. The stock jumped after record Q1 revenue beat expectations and guidance pointed to another record quarter. Investors are watching how its expanding backlog converts into sustained growth and margins. Trading volume reached 76 million shares, about 247% above its three-month average of 21.9 million shares. Rocket Lab IPO'd in 2020 and has grown 983% since going public. The S&P 500 added 0.82% to finish Friday at 7,397, while the Nasdaq Composite climbed 1.71% to close at 26,247. In aerospace & defense, established rivals Lockheed Martin closed at $506.5 (-1.15%) and Northrop Grumman ended at $549.65 (-0.47%), lagging Rocket Lab’s outsize move. Rocket Lab’s 64% revenue growth smashed Wall Street’s expectations, and its narrowing EPS loss of $0.07 also snuck past analysts’ hopes. Looking ahead to Q2, management expects sales to grow by 16% sequentially, after growing 12% quarter over quarter in Q1. Perhaps the most exciting figure for investors was RKLB’s backlog growth of 108%, with 42% from its launch operations and 58% from space systems. The company also landed a $30 million deal with upstart defense tech Anduril Industries, which forms a partnership between two of the world’s most promising young defense companies. Rocket Lab also acquired space robotics specialist Motive Space Systems, potentially enabling it to play a larger role in exploration missions. Overall, shareholders should be pleased with this impressive report. Before you buy stock in Rocket Lab, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Rocket Lab wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $475,926!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,296,608!* Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 981% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 205% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for indi...

Archer Aviation ACHR is slated to report first-quarter 2026 results on May 11, 2026, after market close. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the bottom line is pegged at a loss of 25 cents per share, implying a decline from the prior-year quarter’s reported loss of 13 cents. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the top line is pegged at $1.8 million, implying an improvement. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research ACHR’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters and missed in one, the average surprise being 13.41%. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Our proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for ACHR this time. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of an earnings beat, which is not the case here. You can uncover the best stocks before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. ACHR has an Earnings ESP of 0.00% and a Zacks Rank of 3 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. RTX Corporation’s RTX first-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings per share of $1.78 beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.52 by 17%. The bottom line improved 21.1% from the year-ago quarter’s level of $1.47. Quarterly revenues came in at $22.08 billion, up 8.7% from $20.31 billion in the year-ago period. Sales also beat the consensus mark of $21.56 billion by 2.43%. Northrop Grumman Corporation NOC reported first-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of $6.14 per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $6.08 by 1%. The bottom line also improved 1.3% from the year-ago quarter’s level of $6.06. NOC’s total sales of $9.88 billion in the first quarter beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $9.79 billion by 1%. The top line also improved 4.4% from $9.47 billion reported in the year-ago quarter. Archer Aviation continues to advance its electric air taxi strategy through collaborations with U.S. cities, transportation authorities and international partners to support the integration of eVTOL aircraft into commercial transportation networks. Archer Aviation has also expanded partnerships in the Middle East and continued strengthening its U.S. operational infrastructure through aviation asset development and technology testing initiatives. These developments are likely to have supported the company’s performance in the to...

Embraer S.A. EMBJ reported first-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of 19 cents per American Depository Share (ADS), which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 29 cents by 34.5%. The bottom line also declined 52.5% from 40 cents per share reported in the prior-year quarter. The company registered quarterly GAAP earnings of five cents per ADS compared with 10 cents in the first quarter of 2025. Revenues totaled $1.45 billion, up 31.2% year over year, driven by higher revenues from the company’s Executive Aviation, Defense and Security, Commercial Aviation and Services & Support segments. The figure also surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.33 billion by 8.7%. Embraer delivered 44 jets in the quarter. It delivered 10 commercial and 29 executive (16 small and 13 medium) jets compared with seven commercial and 23 executive (14 small and 9 medium) jets in the prior-year quarter. The company delivered five military jets in the first quarter of 2026. The backlog at the end of the first quarter was $32.1 billion, much higher than the prior-year quarter’s figure of $26.4 billion. Embraer-Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Embraer-Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica Quote Executive Aviation: This segment recorded revenues worth $418 million, up 30% year over year. Defense & Security: This unit generated revenues of $227 million, which improved 63% year over year. Commercial Aviation: This segment recorded revenues worth $293 million, up 45% year over year. Services & Support: This segment recorded revenues worth $490 million, up 15% year over year. Others: This segment includes EMBJ’s Agricultural Aviation, cyber division Tempest and other businesses. Revenues for this segment were $18.3 million, up 21% year over year. Embraer’s operating income amounted to $81.7 million compared with $51.2 million in the first quarter of 2025. The company posted an adjusted EBITDA of $143.6 million, which increased 32.2% from the year-earlier quarter’s figure. As of March 31, 2026, EMBJ’s cash and cash equivalents amounted to $1.32 billion compared with $1.95 billion as of Dec. 31, 2025. Its adjusted free cash outflow (without Eve) for the first quarter of 2026 totaled $447.1 million compared with $385.8 million in the prior-year period. The net cash outflow from operating activities during the first three months of 2026 amounted to $309.1 mill...

Howmet Aerospace Inc. HWM reported first-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of $1.22 per share, up 41.9% from the year-ago period. The figure beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.11. Revenues of $2.31 billion increased 19.1% year over year and surpassed the consensus mark of $2.24 billion. Strength across key end markets, including commercial aerospace and gas turbines, supported the quarter’s results. The Engine Products segment’s revenues totaled $1.25 billion, representing 54.2% of net revenues. On a year-over-year basis, the segment’s revenues increased 29%, driven by growth in the commercial aerospace, defense aerospace and gas turbines end markets. The Fastening Systems segment generated revenues of $471 million, accounting for 20.4% of net revenues. Revenues increased 14% year over year, driven by growth in the commercial aerospace and defense aerospace end markets. The Engineered Structures segment’s revenues, representing 12.7% of net revenues, decreased 3% year over year to $294 million. The decline was attributed to product rationalization, while segment adjusted EBITDA remained flat year over year at $66 million. The Forged Wheels segment’s revenues totaled $295 million, representing 12.7% of net revenues. On a year-over-year basis, the segment’s revenues were up 17%, aided by higher aluminum and other cost pass-through. Howmet Aerospace Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Howmet Aerospace Inc. Quote Howmet’s cost of goods sold rose 13.1% year over year to $1.46 billion. Selling, general, administrative and other expenses rose 30.6% year over year to $111 million. Research and development expenses were $9 million. Adjusted EBITDA, excluding special items, was $740 million, up 32.1% year over year. Adjusted EBITDA margin increased 320 basis points year over year to 32.0%. Adjusted operating income increased 35.6% year over year to $666 million. The adjusted operating income margin was 28.8%, up 350 basis points year over year. Net interest expenses totaled $43 million, up 10.3% from the year-ago quarter. Exiting the first quarter, Howmet had cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of $2.44 billion compared with $742 million at the end of December 2025. Long-term debt was $4.05 billion compared with $2.86 billion at the end of 2025. In the first three months of 2026, Howmet generated net cash of $453 million from operating activities compar...

Leidos Holdings, Inc. LDOS reported first-quarter 2026 non-GAAP earnings of $3.13 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.88 by 8.68%. The metric increased 5.4% from $2.97 in the year-ago quarter. On a GAAP basis, earnings per share were $2.56, down from $2.77 a year ago. Management attributed the year-over-year decline in GAAP results to discrete costs tied to the Entrust acquisition and the pending joint venture involving security-related businesses. Total revenues came in at $4.40 billion, up 3.7% year over year and above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.27 billion by 3.1%. The company said revenues increased on higher customer demand, particularly across Intelligence programs, commercial energy infrastructure work and domestic and international air traffic management systems. Demand signals were mixed in the quarter. Net bookings totaled $3.3 billion, translating into a book-to-bill ratio of 0.8, even as management highlighted a trailing-12-month book-to-bill of 1.1 that supported year-over-year growth in contracted activity. Leidos Holdings, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Leidos Holdings, Inc. Quote Backlog at quarter-end was $48.4 billion, including $9.6 billion funded and $38.8 billion unfunded. The company noted that the funded portion reflects contract value supported by appropriated funding (net of revenues previously recognized), while unfunded backlog includes remaining task-order value and options expected to be executed. By segment, Intelligence & Digital backlog totaled $19.34 billion, Health was $6.56 billion, Homeland was $9.88 billion and Defense was $12.59 billion. Backlog as of April 3, 2026, also included $371 million acquired through the Entrust acquisition within the Homeland segment. Cost of revenues totaled $3.64 billion compared with $3.49 billion in the prior-year quarter. Selling, general and administrative expenses were $223 million compared with $230 million a year ago, while acquisition, integration and restructuring costs increased to $35 million from $4 million. Operating income was $508 million, down from $530 million in the year-ago period. Interest expense rose to $55 million from $49 million. Intelligence & Digital revenues rose to $1.51 billion from $1.41 billion, supported by recent contract awards and higher volumes for Intelligence Community mission support, along with $22 million of acquisi...

Redwire Corporation RDW is scheduled to release first-quarter 2026 results on May 6, after market close. The company delivered a negative earnings surprise of 118.75% in the last reported quarter. Let’s discuss the factors that are likely to be reflected in the upcoming quarterly results. Redwire’s first-quarter 2026 earnings are likely to have benefited from solid demand across its space infrastructure and defense technology businesses, supported by growth in spacecraft platforms, sensors and payload offerings. The company’s earnings are anticipated to have gained from rising contract activity, aided by a healthy backlog and continued momentum in government and national security programs. Growth in commercial and civil space opportunities, including satellite proliferation and in-space manufacturing initiatives, is also likely to have contributed to the quarter’s performance. Ongoing progress in solar array systems, docking infrastructure and autonomous platforms, coupled with steady revenue recognition from long-term contracts, may support RDW’s quarterly results. However, higher operating costs, particularly related to research and development, are likely to have weighed on the bottom line. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at a loss of 16 cents per share, which indicates year-over-year growth of 20%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pinned at $103.5 million, which suggests a year-over-year rise of 68.5%. Our proven model predicts an earnings beat for Redwire this time. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is the case here, as you will see below. Redwire Corporation price-eps-surprise | Redwire Corporation Quote Earnings ESP: The company’s Earnings ESP is +22.58%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Zacks Rank: Currently, Redwire carries a Zacks Rank #3. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Investors may also consider the following player from the same sector, as this has the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this reporting cycle. Curtiss-Wright Corporation CW is expected to report its first-quarter 2026 earnings on May 6, after market close. It has an Earnings ESP of +0.72% and a Zacks Rank of 2 at present...

Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. HII posted first-quarter 2026 earnings of $3.79 per share, matching the year-ago level and topping the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.70 by 2.4%. Quarterly revenues came in at $3.10 billion, up 13.4% year over year and ahead of the consensus mark of $3.02 billion by 2.7%. The quarter reflected higher volumes across the business, led by aircraft carrier, submarine and naval nuclear support services work. HII also booked $4.0 billion of new contract awards in the period, lifting total backlog to $54.0 billion as of March 31, 2026. Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. Quote Huntington Ingalls reported segmental operating income of $172 million compared with $171 million in the first quarter of 2025. The segmental operating margin contracted 70 basis points from the prior-year figure to 5%. Newport News Shipbuilding remained the largest contributor in the quarter. Segment revenues rose to $1.67 billion from $1.40 billion a year earlier, driven by higher volumes in aircraft carriers, submarines and naval nuclear support services. Segment operating income edged up to $88 million from $85 million, while segment operating margin declined to 5.3% from 6.1%, reflecting contract adjustments and lower performance in aircraft carrier construction. Ingalls Shipbuilding delivered solid growth as well. Segment revenues increased to $725 million from $637 million, primarily on higher surface combatant volumes. Segment operating income improved to $49 million from $46 million, but segment operating margin narrowed to 6.8% from 7.2% as lower performance in amphibious assault ships partially offset the benefits of stronger volume. Mission Technologies posted steadier gains. Segment revenues were $748 million compared with $735 million a year ago, supported by higher volumes in All-Domain Operations, Unmanned Systems and Global Security, partially offset by lower volumes in Warfare Systems. Segment operating income declined to $35 million from $40 million and segment operating margin eased to 4.7% from 5.4%, mainly due to lower equity income from nuclear and environmental joint ventures. Cash flow remained seasonally pressured in the first quarter. Net cash used in operating activities was $390 million and free cash flow was negative $461 million, essentially unchanged fro...

Textron Inc. TXT reported first-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of $1.45 per share, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.30 by 11.3%. The bottom line also rose 13.3% from $1.28 in the year-ago quarter. The company reported GAAP earnings of $1.25 per share compared with $1.13 a year ago. The company reported total revenues of $3.7 billion, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.51 billion by 5.4%. The top line also increased 11.8% from the year-ago quarter’s level of $3.31 billion. Textron Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Textron Inc. Quote Textron Aviation: Revenues from this segment increased 22% year over year to $1.49 billion. This was primarily due to higher volume and mix, largely reflecting higher Citation jet and commercial turboprop volume. The segment delivered 37 jets, up from 31 in the year-ago quarter. It also delivered 35 commercial turboprops, up from 30 in the first quarter of 2025. Order backlog at the end of the quarter totaled $8 billion. Bell: Revenues from this segment amounted to $1.07 billion, up 9% from the year-ago quarter’s registered number. This was driven by higher military revenues, largely due to higher volume on the MV-75 Cheyenne program, partially offset by lower volume on V-22 production and on military sustainment programs. Bell delivered 20 commercial helicopters, down from 29 in last year's first quarter. Its order backlog at the end of the quarter totaled $7.6 billion. Textron Systems: This segment’s revenues amounted to $338 million, up $39 million from the prior-year level. Textron Systems’ backlog at the end of the quarter totaled $3.6 billion. Industrial: Revenues from this segment declined $6 million to $786 million. Finance: This segment’s revenues amounted to $16 million flat year over year. Effective Jan. 4, 2026, Textron dissolved its standalone eAviation segment and redistributed its operations across other segments. Most of the business, including Pipistrel, was integrated into Textron Aviation to better leverage its development, manufacturing and sales capabilities. Military-related manned and unmanned products and their R&D were moved to Textron Systems to align with its customer base, while certain R&D activities with broader applications, such as digital flight control and air vehicle management systems, were shifted to corporate expenses. As of April 4, 2026, cash and cash equ...

L3Harris Technologies (LHX) raised its full-year earnings outlook Thursday after reporting stronger-

L3Harris Technologies, Inc. LHX reported first-quarter 2026 earnings (from continuing operations) of $2.72 per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.53 by 7.5%. The bottom line also increased 12.9% from the year-ago quarter’s $2.41. L3Harris’ revenues totaled $5.74 billion, which topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $5.43 billion by 5.9%. The top line also improved 11.9% from the year-ago quarter’s $5.13 billion. The year-over-year increase in the top line was driven by growth across all segments, reflecting new program ramp-up and increased international volume. L3Harris Technologies Inc price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | L3Harris Technologies Inc Quote Space and Mission Systems: Net revenues from the segment were $2.99 billion, reflecting a year-over-year improvement of 24%. The segment’s operating income improved to $313 million from $238 million in the year-ago quarter. The operating margin increased 60 bps to 10.5%, driven by improved program performance. Communication and Spectrum Dominance: Net revenues from this segment rose 3% to $1.86 billion. The unit’s operating income improved to $465 million from $443 million in the year-ago quarter. The operating margin increased 60 bps to 25.1%, driven by increased sales associated with higher margin products in night vision devices and software-defined resilient communications, as well as the favorable settlement of a legal matter. Missile Solutions: This segment reported revenues of $990 million, which improved 18% year over year. The unit’s operating income of $124 million increased from $96 million in the first quarter of 2025. The operating margin jumped 110 bps to 12.5%, primarily due to the monetization of legacy assets aligned with its transformation and value creation priorities. As of April 3, 2026, L3Harris had $0.59 billion in cash and cash equivalents compared with $1.07 billion as of Jan. 2, 2026. The long-term debt as of the same date was $9.19 billion compared with $10.44 billion as of Jan. 2, 2026. The net cash used in operating activities was $95 million during the first three months of 2026 compared with $42 million in the prior-year period. It expects to generate approximately $23-23.5 billion in revenues. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 revenues is pegged at $23.45 billion, which is at the higher end of the company’s guided range. L3Harris now expects earnings to...