NOC
Northrop Grumman Corporation Industrials - Defense Investor Relations →
Northrop Grumman Corporation (NOC) closed at $709.11 as of 2026-02-02, trading 48.3% above its 200-week moving average of $478.26. The stock moved further from the line this week, up from 45.2% last week. With a 14-week RSI of 78, NOC is in overbought territory.
Over the past 2253 weeks of data, NOC has crossed below its 200-week moving average 16 times. On average, these episodes lasted 24 weeks. Historically, investors who bought NOC at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +21.3%.
With a market cap of $101.2 billion, NOC is a large-cap stock. The company generates a free cash flow yield of 2.9%. Return on equity stands at 26.2%, indicating strong profitability. The stock trades at 6.0x book value.
The company has been aggressively buying back shares, reducing its share count by 7.3% over the past three years.
Over the past 33.2 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in NOC would have grown to $10183, compared to $2849 for the S&P 500. That represents an annualized return of 15.0% vs 10.6% for the index — confirming NOC as a market-beating investment and the kind of quality company where buying during 200-week moving average touches has historically been rewarded.
Free cash flow has been growing at a 31.1% compound annual rate, with 4 consecutive years of positive cash generation.
Growth of $100: NOC vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After NOC Crosses Below the Line?
Across 15 historical episodes, buying NOC when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of +21.5% after 12 months (median +24.0%), compared to +18.9% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 85% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was +47.8% vs +22.8% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment NOC crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Historical Touches
NOC has crossed below its 200-week MA 16 times with an average 1-year return of +21.3% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1987 | Feb 1991 | 173 | 50.5% | +5.0% | +12926.0% |
| May 1991 | May 1991 | 3 | 1.6% | +21.9% | +15759.6% |
| Nov 1991 | Dec 1991 | 3 | 2.0% | +42.9% | +16400.5% |
| Aug 1998 | Oct 1998 | 9 | 19.3% | +1.1% | +3853.2% |
| Dec 1998 | May 2000 | 77 | 42.8% | -26.2% | +3732.2% |
| Jun 2000 | Aug 2000 | 10 | 14.5% | +16.7% | +3449.0% |
| Dec 2000 | Dec 2000 | 1 | 4.5% | +35.8% | +3432.6% |
| Mar 2003 | Apr 2003 | 7 | 4.2% | +20.3% | +2950.7% |
| Sep 2003 | Oct 2003 | 5 | 1.5% | +25.9% | +2803.8% |
| Sep 2008 | Feb 2010 | 73 | 45.0% | -15.9% | +1709.7% |
| May 2010 | Sep 2010 | 16 | 9.5% | +24.5% | +1742.9% |
| Aug 2011 | Aug 2011 | 2 | 5.7% | +36.9% | +1711.8% |
| Sep 2011 | Sep 2011 | 1 | 0.7% | +35.7% | +1724.1% |
| Dec 2018 | Dec 2018 | 1 | 0.1% | +49.4% | +238.1% |
| Oct 2020 | Nov 2020 | 1 | 2.6% | +25.5% | +166.9% |
| Jan 2021 | Mar 2021 | 9 | 4.8% | +41.4% | +167.1% |
| Average | 24 | — | +21.3% | — |
Not financial advice. This is an educational tool. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Do your own research before making investment decisions.
Data as of Friday close, 2026-02-02