Geneos Wealth Management Inc. reduced its stake in Northrop Grumman by 61.6% during the third quarter, selling 1,511 shares and retaining only 943 shares by quarter end. The firm’s remaining position was valued at approximately $575,000. This marked one of the most aggressive portfolio adjustments among smaller asset managers, suggesting a reassessment of defense sector exposure as budgetary allocations for major programs evolve.

Several other institutions adjusted their holdings in the quarter. Parvin Asset Management initiated a new position with roughly $25,000 invested, while Twin Peaks Wealth established a stake near $31,000. NewSquare Capital boosted its position by 75%, adding 27 shares to reach 63 shares. AlphaQuest raised its stake by nearly 30%, and City Holding more than doubled its position, acquiring an additional 58 shares. Collectively, hedge funds and institutional investors now hold 83.4% of Northrop Grumman’s outstanding shares, underscoring continued confidence among large investors even as some reallocate capital.

Insider activity accelerated over the past three months, with executives selling a total of 10,097 shares. Director Mark A. Welsh III reduced his ownership by 2.2%, while CEO Kathy J. Warden cut her position by 3.5%. Despite these sales, insiders retain a substantial collective holding of 0.23% of outstanding shares, indicating that top management remains materially invested even as they diversify or monetize portions of their equity stakes.

In its third-quarter report, Northrop Grumman delivered earnings per share of $7.67, surpassing consensus by $1.24, while revenue climbed 4.3% year-over-year to $10.42 billion, narrowly missing analyst forecasts. Return on equity reached 25.5% and net margin stood at 9.8%. The company reaffirmed full-year guidance with EPS projected between 25.65 and 26.05 and analysts forecasting roughly 28.05 for the upcoming fiscal year. Management highlighted robust order backlogs in space and missile defense segments, but signaled potential margin pressure from program mix shifts and elevated R&D spending on next-generation platforms.