NEW YORK, January 8, 2026, 12:41 PM EST — Regular session
- Northrop Grumman stock rose about 3.8% in midday trade after swinging sharply at the open
- Investors weighed Trump’s order targeting dividends and buybacks against his call for a bigger 2027 military budget
- Separate contract wins on rocket motors and uncrewed aircraft kept attention on backlog and execution
Northrop Grumman Corp shares were up about 3.8% at $598.96 on Thursday, after ranging from $594.17 to $638.44 earlier in the session. The move came as defense stocks steadied after U.S. President Donald Trump called for a $1.5 trillion military budget in 2027, up from $901 billion approved for 2026. 1
The bounce followed a rough Wednesday for the sector. Trump signed an executive order barring major defense contractors from paying dividends or buying back stock until they improve weapons output and meet delivery and cost targets, a rare White House swipe at the industry’s capital-return playbook. 2
That sets up a tug of war that traders are still trying to price. “A limit on capital return is an incremental negative, but the size is manageable,” Morgan Stanley analysts led by Kristine Liwag wrote, while RBC Capital Markets’ Ken Herbert flagged “significant uncertainty” around what a final defense budget would look like. 3
Northrop also had fresh contract news in the mix. The company secured a $94.3 million U.S. Navy deal to develop a 21-inch second-stage solid rocket motor — propulsion used in missiles to extend range and speed — with 60 units slated for testing and low-rate initial production, an early small-batch build before wider manufacturing. “Being chosen by the U.S. Navy is an honor,” Gordon LoPresti, a senior director at Northrop, said. 4
On Thursday, Kratos Defense said Northrop was competitively awarded the U.S. Marine Corps’ Collaborative Combat Aircraft work under the MUX TACAIR effort, pairing Northrop’s mission systems and autonomy software with Kratos’ Valkyrie uncrewed aircraft. Collaborative combat aircraft are drones meant to fly alongside crewed fighters and extend reach in high-threat zones. 5
The swings in Northrop echoed the broader tape: tech weighed on major indexes while defense names pushed higher, and investors looked ahead to Friday’s U.S. nonfarm payrolls report for the next read on rates and risk appetite. 6
But the downside case is sitting in plain view. If the payout limits harden into enforceable contract language and the promised budget jump runs into congressional resistance, the sector could lose a key support and stay choppy — even with steady contract flow.
What’s next for Northrop is closer to home: the company is set to report fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results on Jan. 27 before the market opens, followed by a 9:30 a.m. ET webcast, where investors will listen for guidance and any shift in capital return plans under the new policy backdrop. 7
