Northrop Grumman Sees Capacity for More Contracts -- Update
29 Octobre 2015 - 1:43AM
Dow Jones News
By Doug Cameron
Northrop Grumman Corp. has the capacity to bid and deliver on
other big upcoming Pentagon contract awards even after securing a
huge deal to build a fleet of new bombers, Chief Executive Wes Bush
said Wednesday.
Mr. Bush, speaking after Northrop reported a 9% rise in
third-quarter profit, also said the world's fifth-largest defense
contractor by sales doesn't plan to follow some rivals such as
Lockheed Martin Corp. and carve out its services business. A recent
restructuring is aimed at speeding product development and reducing
costs rather than repositioning the company's portfolio, he
added.
Northrop Grumman shares climbed sharply in the wake of the
Pentagon's announcement late Wednesday that the company had
defeated a team of Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin to build as many
as 100 long-range bombers. Analysts value the program at as much as
$80 billion, which would make it likely the largest defense
contract for at least the next 10 years.
"We have the resources in place [and] we are ready to get to
work," Mr. Bush said on a conference call after Northrop reported
its quarterly results, which beat market expectations. The Falls
Church, Va., company also boosted its full-year sales and earnings
guidance. Mr. Bush declined to comment further on the bomber award,
citing its classified nature.
The losing companies are widely expected by analysts to protest
the decision and could be briefed on why they lost the deal by the
U.S. Air Force as early as Friday, triggering a 10-day window for
them to lodge concerns with the Government Accountability
Office.
Analysts estimated the bomber deal could add $1 billion or more
to Northrop's annual revenue--which reached $24 billion last
year--if it successfully navigates any protest. The planes would be
produced at its classified facility in Palmdale, Calif.
"We do have significant capacity," said Mr. Bush. He cited the
Navy's plans for a new drone and efforts by the Air Force to
replace its fleet of aging trainers and surveillance planes as
three programs Northrop could still pursue.
Northrop built a test drone for the Navy's carrier-based Uclass
program, but lawmakers and military chiefs are still working on
requirements for that project.
The company teamed up with the Gulfstream unit of General
Dynamics Corp., L-3 Communications Holdings Inc. and others in
pursuit of the contract for a new communications plane known as
Jstars, for which it faces competition from Lockheed and Boeing.
The same trio that fought out the bomber contest is also expected
to bid on a contract to build hundreds of new trainer jets.
Mr. Bush also said he has no plans to step down, following the
company's recent decision to revive the role of chief operating
officer, which some analysts viewed as succession planning.
Defense stocks were broadly ahead of the wider market Wednesday
in the wake of upbeat earnings, a potential Pentagon budget deal
for 2016 and the bomber award, with only Boeing and Lockheed losing
ground.
Northrop shares ended the day up 5.5% at $190.50 apiece.
The company opted to avoid setting a new benchmark for share
buybacks after reaching its target of repurchasing a quarter of its
outstanding stock over the past three years.
General Dynamics also beat expectations on Wednesday, reporting
a 5% rise in third-quarter profit, with its stock gaining 1.6%.
L-3, which reports Thursday, gained almost 10% after hiring former
Lockheed COO Chris Kubasik to fill the same role. Booz Allen
Hamilton Holding Corp., the largest defense services provider,
gained 9.6% after forecast-beating quarterly profits.
Write to Doug Cameron at doug.cameron@wsj.com
Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
October 28, 2015 20:28 ET (00:28 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2015 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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