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Stock Compensation Plans and Other Compensation Arrangements
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2024
Share-Based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]  
Stock Compensation Plans and Other Compensation Arrangements
13. STOCK COMPENSATION PLANS AND OTHER COMPENSATION ARRANGEMENTS
Stock Compensation Plans
At December 31, 2024, the company had stock-based compensation awards outstanding under the following shareholder-approved plans: the 2024 Long-Term Incentive Stock Plan (2024 Plan) and the 2011 Long-Term Incentive Stock Plan (2011 Plan), both applicable to employees and non-employee directors, and the 1993 Stock Plan for Non-Employee Directors (1993 SPND).
Employee Plans – On May 15, 2024, the company’s shareholders approved the company’s new 2024 Plan, which replaced the 2011 Plan. The 2024 Plan authorized 5.75 million new shares (less the number of shares subject to any new awards under the 2011 Plan between March 1 and May 15, 2024). Under the terms of the 2024 Plan, in the event outstanding awards under the 2011 Plan expire or terminate without being exercised or paid, as the case may be, such forfeited shares will become available for award under the 2024 Plan and increase the authorization. As of December 31, 2024, 5.8 million shares remain available for issuance under the 2024 Plan.
The 2011 Plan provided for and the 2024 Plan provides for the following equity awards: stock options, stock appreciation rights (SARs) and stock awards. Under the 2011 Plan and 2024 Plan, no SARs have been granted and there are no outstanding stock options. Stock awards include restricted performance stock rights (RPSR) and restricted stock rights (RSR). RPSRs generally vest and are paid following the completion of a three-year performance period, based primarily on achievement of certain performance metrics determined by the Board. RSRs generally vest 100% after three years. Each includes dividend equivalents, which are paid concurrently with the RPSR or RSR. The terms of equity awards granted under the 2011 Plan and 2024 Plan provide for accelerated vesting, and in some instances forfeiture, of all or a portion of an award upon termination of employment.
Non-Employee Director Plans – Awards to non-employee directors are made pursuant to the Northrop Grumman Corporation Equity Grant Program for Non-Employee Directors (the Director Program). The Director Program was amended and restated effective January 1, 2016 (the Amended Director Program). The Director Program was again amended and restated effective May 15, 2024, consistent with the shareholder-approved 2024 Plan (the Restated Director Program). Under the Restated Director Program, each non-employee director is awarded an annual equity grant in the form of Automatic Stock Units, which vest on the one-year anniversary of the annual shareholder meeting. Directors may elect to have all or any portion of their Automatic Stock Units paid on (A) the earlier of (i) the beginning of a specified calendar year after the vesting date or (ii) their separation from service as a member of the Board, or (B) on the vesting date.
Directors also may elect to defer to a later year all or a portion of their remaining cash retainer or committee retainer fees into a stock unit account as Elective Stock Units or in alternative investment options. Elective Stock Units are awarded on a quarterly basis. Directors may elect to have all or a portion of their Elective Stock Units paid on the earlier of (i) the beginning of a specified calendar year or (ii) their separation from service as a member of the Board. Stock units awarded under the Amended Director Program and Restated Director Program are paid out in an equivalent number of shares of Northrop Grumman common stock. Directors are credited with dividend equivalents
in connection with the accumulated stock units until the shares of common stock relating to such stock units are issued.
Compensation Expense
Stock-based compensation expense for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 was $101 million, $87 million and $99 million, respectively. The related tax benefits for stock-based compensation for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 were $15 million, $9 million and $10 million, respectively.
At December 31, 2024, there was $102 million of unrecognized compensation expense related to unvested stock awards granted under the company’s stock-based compensation plans. These amounts are expected to be charged to expense over a weighted-average period of 1.3 years.
Stock Awards
Stock award activity for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2023 and 2024, is presented in the table below. Vested awards do not include any adjustments to reflect the final performance measure for issued shares.
Stock
Awards
(in thousands)		Weighted-
Average
Grant Date
Fair Value
Per Share		Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Term (in years)
Outstanding at January 1, 2022580 $314 1.4
Granted238 397 
Vested(226)327 
Forfeited(31)320 
Outstanding at December 31, 2022561 $344 1.4
Granted216 478 
Vested(249)315 
Forfeited(29)373 
Outstanding at December 31, 2023499 $417 1.3
Granted238 465 
Vested(221)366 
Forfeited(47)450 
Outstanding at December 31, 2024469 $462 1.4
The majority of our stock awards are granted annually during the first quarter.
The grant date fair value of shares issued in settlement of fully vested stock awards was $86 million, $99 million and $93 million during the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Cash Awards
The company grants certain employees cash units (CUs) and cash performance units (CPUs). Depending on actual performance against financial objectives, recipients of CPUs earn between 0 and 200 percent of the original grant. The following table presents the minimum and maximum aggregate payout amounts related to those cash awards granted for the periods presented:
Year Ended December 31
$ in millions202420232022
Minimum aggregate payout amount$35 $34 $32 
Maximum aggregate payout amount200 192 183 
The majority of our cash awards are granted annually during the first quarter. CUs typically vest and settle in cash on the third anniversary of the grant date, while CPUs generally vest and pay out in cash based primarily on the achievement of certain performance metrics over a three-year period. At December 31, 2024, there was $120 million of unrecognized compensation expense related to cash awards.