Will Segment Revenues Aid Northrop's (NOC) Q3 Earnings?

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Northrop Grumman Corporation (NOC - Free Report) is scheduled to report its third-quarter 2023 results on Oct 26 before market open.

Northrop has a four-quarter earnings surprise of 4.38%, on average. Growth in revenues in most of its operating segments is likely to have aided the overall top line. However, higher labor costs and supply-chain disruption may have impacted the bottom line in the third quarter.

Aeronautics Systems’ Sales to Remain Sluggish

Lower volumes on E-2 and F/A-18 and the Joint Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System are likely to have dampened the third-quarter revenue performance of the Aeronautics Systems segment.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Aeronautics Systems’ third-quarter revenues is pegged at $2,486 million, indicating a decline of 2% from the year-ago quarter’s reported revenues.

Defense Systems’ Revenues to Remain Solid

Higher volumes from the Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System program and ammunition programs, along with a ramp-up on the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile and advanced fuze programs, are likely to have aided the Defense unit’s revenue performance in the third quarter of 2023.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Defense Systems’ third-quarter revenues is pegged at $1,445 million, implying growth of 7.5% from the year-ago quarter’s reported revenues.

Mission Systems, a Key Contributor to Revenues

Higher sales from the Networked Information Solutions business area and higher volumes on marine systems programs and the Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program are likely to have favorably impacted Mission Systems’ revenue performance in the soon-to-be-reported quarter.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Mission System’s third-quarter revenues is pegged at $2,701 million, indicating a rise of 10% from the year-ago quarter’s reported revenues.

Space Systems to Remain Robust

The Space System business unit’s revenues are likely to have been positively impacted by the ramp-up of development programs in Launch & Strategic Missiles and higher volumes from the Next Generation Interceptor and Ground-based Midcourse Defense Weapon Systems programs. Higher volumes from restricted programs are also expected to have added impetus to the segment's revenues in the soon-to-be-reported quarter.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Space System’s third-quarter revenues is pegged at $3,456 million, suggesting an increase of 9.3% from the year-ago quarter’s reported revenues.

Backlog Projections Show Strength

Our model suggests the third-quarter backlog of NOC to improve by 3.7% to $82.58 billion from the prior-year reported figure. This indicates strength in its business operations that fuels the demand for its products.

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