Defense contractor Northrop Grumman
Shares of Northrop continue to rise at a steady pace. The stock is up 13% over the past 52 weeks and has appreciated 44% over the past two years. The company's quarterly dividend, which has been paid out consistently since the early '80s, has also grown. It's now 42% greater than it was two years ago and gives common shares a 1.9% yield.
Even management has taken action on the value it sees in its own shares. The company repurchased approximately 2% of its own shares at the end of July as part of an accelerated repurchase agreement. Northrop is able to exude this confidence, given that it has demonstrated a proven track record of winning new work. Yesterday also brought the announcement that the company landed a $331 million contract to provide training exercises and support for the U.S. Army, as well as a portion of a five-year counter-narcotics deal that has the potential to be worth up to $15 billion.
The whole lot of defense contractors has been producing consistent results; Honeywell International
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