$NOC (+1,28 %)

Aerospace and defense company Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has reported strong financial results for the second quarter of 2025, beating forecasts for earnings and revenue. The company reported earnings per share (EPS) of $8.15, beating the forecast of $6.82, a positive surprise of 19.5%. Sales reached $10.4 billion, slightly above the expected $10.07 billion. As a result of these results, Northrop Grumman shares rose 8.31% in pre-market trading, reflecting investor optimism.

Key takeaways

Northrop Grumman's earnings per share (EPS) of $8.15 beat expectations by 19.5%.

Sales amounted to $10.4 billion, an increase of 1% year-on-year.

The share price rose 8.31% in pre-market trading.

The company raised its full-year guidance for earnings per share and free cash flow.

International sales grew 18%, driven by increased defense spending.

Company performance

Northrop Grumman delivered a robust performance in the second quarter of 2025, with revenue up 1% year over year. The company's segment operating profit increased 11% and the segment operating margin improved 100 basis points to 11.8%. This growth was driven by strong demand in the Defense and Aerospace segments as well as strategic investments in production capacity.

Financial highlights

Sales: $10.4 billion, an increase of 1% year-on-year

Earnings per share: $8.15, an increase of 28% compared to the previous year

Segment operating profit: increase of 11

Segment operating margin: increase of 100 basis points to 11.8

Bye bye $NOC (+1,28 %) trade 🫡

Here is a clear overview of the quarterly figures due next week.

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The USA will now probably deliver urgently needed "Patriot" defense missiles to Ukraine after all. This was announced by the US President last night. According to Trump, the weapons will be paid for by the EU.US President Donald Trump has announced the delivery of "Patriot" anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine. "We will send them 'Patriots', which they urgently need," said Trump. However, he left open how many systems he wanted to send to reporters at Andrews Air Force Base. The weapons are to be financed by the EU: the people in Ukraine need the protection of the "Patriots", "but the European Union is paying for it. We pay nothing," Trump said verbatim. It was a business deal. With a view to an upcoming meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump went on to explain that the defense alliance would buy US military technology: "We're basically going to send them various pieces of sophisticated military equipment and they're going to pay us 100 percent for it." Trump plans to meet with Rutte later this week to discuss Ukraine and other issues

Source and full content:

Trump announces "Patriot" delivery to Ukraine | tagesschau.de https://share.google/jk7iR8mM7Sd3HhYzF

Will the war end soon?

Profiting:

$STR (+0,06 %)

$POS (+1,4 %)

$HOT (+2,57 %)

$NOC (+1,28 %)

$LMT (+0,28 %)

$RTX (+0,52 %)

$NOC (+1,28 %) is now also moving in the right direction.

The 3 week trade duration is a bit too long for my taste, but it's okay.

Trade is secured at +15% with an SL and I will be out before the figures on 22.7.

I wanted to give you a little update on my current defense portfolio and the planned changes.

📍Status Quo:

📍Capability areas and benefits for the portfolio:

Air & missile defense

$RTX (+0,52 %) ,$LMT (+0,28 %)

Patriot, PAC-3, THAAD - core systems for the protection of cities, bases and fleets

Combat aircraft & air dominance

$LMT (+0,28 %) , $BA. (-1,03 %)

F-35 program (LMT), Eurofighter Typhoon, future Tempest/FCAS

Maritime strike capability

$HII (-1,14 %) , $GD (+0,11 %) , $BA. (-1,03 %)

Nuclear submarines (Virginia, Astute), Type-26 frigates, combat systems

Sensors & electronic reconnaissance

$HAG (+2,92 %) , $QQ. (+0 %) , $CHRT (-1,54 %) , $BA. (-1,03 %)

AESA radars, ESM/ECM, BAE Raven ES-05 radar

Autonomous systems & drones

Almost all companies play me here. $KTOS (+5,69 %) as the only drone pure play.

Unmanned jets (XQ-58) and tactical UAS - rapidly growing budget item

Cyber / AI & data fusion

$PLTR (+4,93 %) ,$CACI (+1,64 %)

AI-supported command and control systems (PLTR Gotham/Apollo) and US government IT services

Ground-based large-scale systems

$GD (+0,11 %) ,$NOC (+1,28 %) , $BA. (-1,03 %)

Abrams modernizations, artillery rockets and ground-based sensors, CV90-IFV, M109 howitzers

Multidomain space flight

$NOC (+1,28 %)

US nuclear deterrence - from delivery systems to warning and command and control networks

💰Realized partial sales at $HAG and $PLTR

I had already reduced $HAG and $PLTR by 50% each this year with large gains (+651% and +346%):

The valuations of both companies are currently extremely sporty.

PLTR

Trailing P/E ratio (TTM): 580 - 590x

Forward P/E ratio: ~240x

Price-to-sales: >100x

HAG

Trailing P/E ratio (TTM): 120 - 130x

Forward P/E ratio: ~80x

Price-to-sales: >5x

I will nevertheless remain invested in both positions for the time being. Mainly because I currently see no significant change in the underlying investment story.

Position sizes are relativized by new planned purchases and the concentration risk falls from 34% → 25% of the sleeve.

📊Planned adjustments:

❓Why these changes?

New position$AVAV (+3,05 %)
(drones/loitering ammunition):

Covers the fastest growing budget line (attritable UAS), which was previously barely represented.

New position $RHM (+3,44 %)
(Ammunition & Platforms)

Adds the "155 mm grenades" bottleneck and European land systems to the portfolio; beneficiary of EU armament.

Increase $RTX (+0,52 %)

Most favorable US prime (forward P/E ≈ 25), high visibility in air/missile defense systems.

Top-up $GD (+0,11 %)

Diversified towards submarines, ground vehicles and ammunition; reliable free cash flow.

📉Planned, staggered entries:

$AVAV: $220 - $185

$RHM: €1550 - €1450

$RTX: $125 - $120

$GD: $285 - $270

🤔 What does your portfolio look like?

Which defense stocks do you hold and why?

At least for one value, the Brent oil future long, it looks good for tomorrow so far.

I think there will be 3-4 more.😉

Think of $VG (+0,39 %) , $NOG (-0,21 %) , $NOC (+1,28 %) for example.

The rest, well, we'll see

$ALDR (-2,53 %)

Swarms of nanodrones can greatly increase the efficiency of agriculture. Researchers are certain that they can spray and fertilize independently when they detect a need and much more.

Sat., May 31, 2025, 3:47 p.m.

Unprecedented growth

The global market for agricultural nanodrones is growing rapidly. Forecasts predict an average annual growth rate of 35% over the next decade. Governments and private investors are increasingly investing in this groundbreaking technology and driving progress in research, development and deployment.

Agricultural countries such as India, Brazil and the countries of sub-Saharan Africa are actively using nanodrones. The market for small and nano drones is expected to reach USD 10.4 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 8.6% from 2023. The focus here is on agriculture and disaster management.

Political recommendations also advocate subsidies and incentives to encourage small farmers to use drone technology.

Nanodrones make agriculture much more efficient

Research shows that the use of nanodrones has helped to optimize efficiency in agriculture. The Robotic Eagle-Micro Drone, for example, shows the potential of bio-inspired nanodrones in tackling agricultural problems such as pollinator decline and crop monitoring.

Nanocopters, or small helicopter-like drones, can also be used to stimulate pollination and increase productivity.

Examples: Monitor, detect, treat

The seamless integration of nanodrones into sensor networks has proven its worth in large-scale agricultural monitoring. It improves crop yields and reduces the use of chemical pesticides at the same time.

As these drones detect plant diseases before visible symptoms appear, they prevent large-scale crop losses and thus ensure food security even in regions affected by unpredictable climate changes.

Newer nanodrones offer innovative solutions that increase efficiency while reducing operating costs and environmental impact. For example, nanodrones such as AgroFly are designed for high-precision pesticide application, minimizing drift and ensuring optimal crop protection without excessive exposure to the product.

Another system called AgroWings is designed for large-scale monitoring and is equipped with AI-powered sensors that analyze soil conditions, detect nutrient deficiencies and provide real-time feedback to farmers.

Robotic Eagle uses advanced imaging technologies to detect early signs of disease, pest infestation and water stress to intervene in time and prevent large-scale crop failure.

Nano drones in agriculture are a growing trend. There are various companies that specialize in drones for agriculture and whose shares are traded on the stock exchange, such as Drone Destination or ZenaTech. There are also companies that manufacture drones in general, such as DJI or Parrot, whose shares can also be found on the stock exchange.

Drone Destination:

This company is a major player in the agricultural drone market and recently completed a successful IPO.

Drone Destination Limited is an India-based drone as a service (DaaS) and training company. The company is engaged in trading, operating, manufacturing, repairing, leasing and training for various types of drones including Multirotor, Fixed Wing, Hybrid UAV, e-VTOL, UAS, SUAV, RPV, RPAS, UWV, UGV and others. The company is a licensee of the General Directorate of Civil Aviation.

ZenaTech: $ZENA (+11,52 %)

This company specializes in AI-powered drone solutions that can also be used in agriculture.

https://www.boerse.de/nachrichten/IRW-News-ZenaTech-Inc-ZenaTech-erweitert-Standort-in-Irland-und-bietet-Drone-as-a-Service-DaaS-einschliesslich-Praezisionslandwirtschaft-fuer-den-europaeischen-Markt-an-der-jaehrlich-um-28-6-Prozent/37359600

https://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2025-05/65438772-zenatech-ungebremstes-wachstum-ki-drohnen-werden-immer-beliebter-248.htm

DJI and Parrot: $PARRO (-6,34 %)

These companies are leading manufacturers of drones that can also be used in agriculture.

Joby Aviation: $JOBY

A company that focuses on the development of air cab drones that can also be used in agriculture.

Northrop Grumman: $NOC (+1,28 %)

A well-known defense manufacturer that also develops and offers drones for agriculture.

Teledyne Technologies: $TDY (+1,62 %)

A company active in various fields, including agriculture and aviation, offering drone solutions.

Exail Technologies: $EXA (+3,6 %)

A company that focuses on developing drone solutions for agriculture and other industries.

Autel Robotics: $688208

Another major manufacturer of civilian drones that also offers drones for agriculture.

$RCAT (+7,16 %) Red Cat Holdings and its subsidiaries develop drones that can be used in various fields, including agriculture. For example, drones can be used to inspect fields, take aerial photographs and monitor crops.

Please note that investing in shares involves risks and that you should inform yourself thoroughly before investing.

https://www.topagrar.com/technik/news/wissenschaftler-sehen-in-gunstigen-nanodrohnen-schwarmen-die-zukunft-b-20014612.html