Northrop revenue uptick

Northrop Grumman said April 21 that first-quarter revenue rose as its aircraft business, led by the B-21 Raider program, brought in more sales. (wkzo.com) The Falls Church, Virginia, company reported $9.88 billion in first-quarter revenue, up 4.4% from $9.47 billion a year earlier. Diluted earnings per share rose to $6.14 from $3.32. (wkzo.com) Sales in aeronautics systems climbed 17% to $3.28 billion in the quarter. Reuters said that gain was tied to demand for aircraft work including the B-21 Raider. (wkzo.com) Northrop kept its 2026 sales forecast at $43.5 billion to $44 billion after the quarter. In January, the company had already told investors to expect mid-single-digit sales growth for 2026 after reporting a record $95.7 billion backlog for 2025. (wkzo.com) (investor.northropgrumman.com) The B-21 is the U.S. Air Force’s next long-range stealth bomber, and Northrop said on April 14 that it is expanding annual production capacity for the aircraft by 25%. Reuters reported in February that the company and the Air Force had agreed to accelerate deliveries, with the first aircraft scheduled for delivery in 2027. (investor.northropgrumman.com) (wkzo.com) The Air Force has said it plans to buy at least 100 B-21s. Reuters, citing Air Force figures, said each aircraft with support equipment, training and engineering changes would cost about $692 million in 2022 dollars. (wkzo.com) Northrop’s defense systems segment also grew, with organic sales up 10% to $1.9 billion as the Sentinel nuclear-missile program ramped up and demand rose for tactical solid rocket motors. Sentinel is the replacement for the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile first deployed in 1970. (wkzo.com) The comparison with last year is also cleaner than it looks. In the first quarter of 2025, Northrop booked a $477 million pre-tax loss on B-21 low-rate initial production options, which weighed on profit in that period. (investor.northropgrumman.com) For now, the quarter leaves Northrop leaning on the same businesses it highlighted at the start of the year: aircraft production, missile modernization and a backlog large enough to support its 2026 outlook. (investor.northropgrumman.com) (wkzo.com)