Key Takeaways
- Northrop Grumman (NOC) reported stronger-than-expected Q2 2025 earnings with EPS of $8.15 and sales of $10.4 billion, leading the company to raise its full-year adjusted EPS and free cash flow guidance.
- General Motors (GM) surpassed analyst expectations for Q2 2025, posting adjusted EPS of $2.53 and net sales of $47.12 billion, despite a miss on vehicle sales.
- Halliburton (HAL) delivered mixed Q2 2025 results, with revenue of $5.5 billion beating estimates but adjusted EPS of 55 cents falling slightly short of projections.
Northrop Grumman (NOC) announced robust second-quarter 2025 results, significantly exceeding Wall Street's forecasts and prompting an upward revision of its full-year financial outlook. The defense contractor reported diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $8.15, a substantial increase from $6.36 year-over-year, and well above the consensus estimate of $6.82. Sales for the quarter reached $10.4 billion, surpassing the estimated $10.07 billion. Following this strong performance, Northrop Grumman raised its full-year adjusted EPS guidance to a range of $25.00 to $25.40, up from the previous $24.95 to $25.35. The company also increased its full-year free cash flow forecast to between $3.05 billion and $3.35 billion, from the prior $2.85 billion to $3.25 billion. Full-year sales are now projected to be between $42.05 billion and $42.25 billion.
General Motors (GM) also delivered a solid financial performance in the second quarter of 2025, with adjusted EPS of $2.53 outperforming analyst estimates of $2.33. The automaker's net sales and revenue reached $47.12 billion, exceeding the estimated $46.25 billion. Despite these positive financial figures, GM's vehicle sales for the quarter came in at 974,000 units, falling short of the estimated 998,970 units. The company's international operations saw an adjusted EBIT of $204 million, surpassing expectations, though North America adjusted EBIT of $2.42 billion missed estimates. GM reiterated its full-year adjusted EPS guidance, maintaining the range of $8.25 to $10.00.
In the energy sector, Halliburton (HAL) reported mixed results for its second quarter of 2025. The oilfield services giant posted revenue of $5.5 billion, which was higher than the estimated $5.42 billion. However, its adjusted EPS of 55 cents matched analyst expectations, but was down from $0.80 a year earlier. Segment-wise, Drilling & Evaluation revenue reached $2.34 billion, exceeding the estimated $2.27 billion, and Completion & Production revenue was $3.17 billion, slightly above the estimated $3.16 billion. Nevertheless, Completion & Production operating income of $513 million fell short of the estimated $533.5 million. Halliburton's operational resilience was noted, with international growth helping to offset a decline in North American activity.
In broader economic news, Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey declined to comment on the ongoing process of setting the pace for quantitative tightening (QT) for the next 12 months. This statement comes amidst ongoing discussions regarding central bank balance sheet adjustments and their impact on financial markets.
Ed Liston is a senior contributing editor at TheStockMarketWatch.com. An active market watcher and investor, Ed guides an independent team of experienced analysts and writes for multiple stock trader publications.