Operating Cash Flow
Northrop Grumman Operating Cash Flow decreased by 142.5% to -$1.66B in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric declined by 5.8%, from -$1.57B to -$1.66B. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), Operating Cash Flow shows an upward trend with a 7.5% CAGR. This decline may warrant attention — for this metric, higher values are generally preferred.
Analysis
How to read this metric
Consistently high operating cash flow indicates a healthy, self-sustaining business capable of funding its own growth and returning capital to shareholders.
Detailed definition
Net cash from operating activities measures the total amount of cash generated by a company's core business operations....
Peer comparison
Investors often compare this to capital expenditures to calculate Free Cash Flow, a primary valuation metric for mature tech giants.
net_cash_from_operatingHistorical Data
| Q2 '21 | Q3 '21 | Q4 '21 | Q1 '22 | Q2 '22 | Q3 '22 | Q4 '22 | Q1 '23 | Q2 '23 | Q3 '23 | Q4 '23 | Q1 '24 | Q2 '24 | Q3 '24 | Q4 '24 | Q1 '25 | Q2 '25 | Q3 '25 | Q4 '25 | Q1 '26 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $1.03B | $1.16B | $1.44B | -$488.00M | -$197.00M | $1.34B | $2.25B | -$702.00M | $919.00M | $1.23B | $2.43B | -$706.00M | $1.43B | $1.09B | $2.58B | -$1.57B | $868.00M | $1.56B | $3.90B | -$1.66B |
| QoQ Change | — | +13.1% | +24.0% | -133.8% | +59.6% | +777.7% | +68.6% | -131.2% | +230.9% | +33.6% | +97.9% | -129.1% | +301.8% | -23.4% | +136.3% | -160.7% | +155.5% | +79.4% | +150.3% | -142.5% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | -119.2% | +14.8% | +56.1% | -43.9% | +566.5% | -8.0% | +8.0% | -0.6% | +55.1% | -11.2% | +6.1% | -121.7% | -39.1% | +42.7% | +51.2% | -5.8% |
Operating Cash Flow at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Northrop Grumman's operating cash flow?
- Northrop Grumman (NOC) reported operating cash flow of -$1.66B in Q1 2026.
- How has Northrop Grumman's operating cash flow changed year-over-year?
- Northrop Grumman's operating cash flow decreased by 5.8% year-over-year, from -$1.57B to -$1.66B.
- What is the long-term trend for Northrop Grumman's operating cash flow?
- Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), Northrop Grumman's operating cash flow has grown at a 7.5% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $3.57B to $4.76B.
- What does operating cash flow mean?
- The actual amount of cash a company brings in from its day-to-day business activities.