Article: Northrop Grumman 1st-qtr profit up nearly 50 pct

Northrop Grumman Corp. on Wednesday said its first-quarter profit rose almost 50 percent, boosted by higher sales of military products like aerial drones and a larger contract for a satellite-based tracking system.

The No. 2 defense contractor seems largely insulated from the recession, which has hurt earnings at other U.S. manufacturers like Boeing Co., Caterpillar Inc. and rival Lockheed Martin Corp. It appears Defense Secretary Robert Gates' proposed fiscal 2010 defense budget, which begins Oct. 1, will not cancel or hurt any of Northrop's ongoing projects for the military.

The Los Angeles-based company also raised its 2009 outlook, reflecting a pretax gain of up to $70 ...

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