NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORP
8-K, 1998-01-21
AIRCRAFT
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<PAGE>
 
                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549

                                  ----------
                                   FORM 8-K

                                CURRENT REPORT

                    PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

                        SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

      Date of report (Date of earliest event reported):  January 21, 1998

                         NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORPORATION
              (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)


         Delaware                      1-3229                   95-1055798
(State or Other Jurisdiction of    (Commission File Number)   (IRS Employer
        Incorporation)                                      Identification No.)

1840 Century Park East
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA                                         90067     
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)                      (Zip Code)

     Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (310) 201-3000

                                    None
        (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)  
<PAGE>
 

ITEM 5.     OTHER EVENTS

     On January 21, 1998, the Corporation announced its results of operations 
for the fourth quarter and the year ended December 31, 1997 in the press 
release which is included as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.

ITEM 7.     EXHIBITS
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

Exhibit No.                  Description
- -----------                  -----------
<C>                          <S>
   99.1                      Press Release of Northrop Grumman Corporation dated
                             January 21, 1998.
 
</TABLE>
                                      2  

<PAGE>
 
                                  SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the 
Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the 
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


                                        NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORPORATION


Date:  January 21, 1998                 By:  /s/ James C. Johnson
                                             -----------------------------------
                                             James C. Johnson
                                             Corporate Vice President, Secretary
                                             and Assistant General Counsel

                                       3
<PAGE>
 
                                 Exhibit Index

Exhibit No.                         Description
- -----------                         -----------
  99.1                              Press Release of Northrop Grumman 
                                    Corporation dated January 21, 1998

                                       4

<PAGE>
 
                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.1

                                                           FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
                                                           ---------------------
Operating Profit Exceeds $1 Billion; Net Debt Reduced by $510 Million
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------

     NORTHROP GRUMMAN REPORTS RECORD 1997 SALES, EARNINGS
     -----------------------------------------------------

     LOS ANGELES--Jan. 21, 1998--Northrop Grumman Corporation today reported
record sales and net income for 1997, a year in which operating profit topped $1
billion for the first time in the company's history. During the year, the
company also reduced its net debt by more than $500 million, from $3.26 billion
at the end of 1996 to $2.75 billion at Dec. 31, 1997.

     Sales for 1997 were $9.2 billion, up 6 percent from the $8.6 billion
reported in 1996.  Net income for the year was $407 million, up 54 percent from
the $264 million registered in 1996.  Basic earnings per share for the year were
$6.10 ($5.98 diluted) versus $4.22 ($4.15 diluted) for all of 1996.  Operating
profit for 1997 totaled $1.058 billion versus $908 million for the preceding
year.

     Net income for 1996 included two nonrecurring items: a pretax charge of $90
million related to plant closures and a pretax gain of $28 million from the sale
of shares the company owned in ETEC Systems Inc., a manufacturer of high
technology equipment for the semiconductor industry.

     Northrop Grumman's sales for the fourth quarter of 1997 were $2.5 billion,
up 4 percent from the $2.4 billion reported for the same period a year ago.  Net
income for the quarter totaled $117 million, or $1.75 per share ($1.71 diluted),
compared with $24 million, or 38 cents per share (38 cents diluted) in the
fourth quarter of 1996, which included net nonrecurring pretax charges of $80
million.
<PAGE>
 
                                                                          Page 2



     The company's operating margin in the fourth quarter of 1997 included a $27
million mark-to-market charge for restricted stock rights versus a $2 million
charge recorded in the fourth quarter of 1996.  The higher charge resulted from
increases in the company's stock price and the number of shares accrued.

     Northrop Grumman's business backlog at Dec. 31, 1997, was $11.9 billion,
down 6 percent from the $12.7 billion reported a year ago.

     Aircraft business segment sales for the fourth quarter and all of 1997 were
higher than those of 1996 due to increased deliveries of shipsets for Boeing
jetliners and the Gulfstream V business jet.  These improvements more than
offset lower business volume on the B-2 and F/A-18 military aircraft programs.

     Fourth quarter operating profit in the Aircraft business segment benefited
from an increase in pension income, the delivery of two B-2's versus none in the
fourth quarter of 1996, and a $55 million cumulative margin rate adjustment on
the B-2 production contract.

     Aircraft business segment operating profit for 1997 benefited from
increased pension income, higher levels of Boeing jetliner sales, and the
cumulative margin rate adjustment on the B-2 production contract.  These
improvements were partially offset by lower F/A-18 operating margin on reduced
sales.  The prior year's results included a $25 million charge related to the
company's work for Fokker Aircraft N.V., which declared bankruptcy in March
1996, and $22 million in charges related to plant closures.  These charges were
partially offset by the favorable settlement in the third quarter of 1996 of a
claim involving productivity improvements on the F/A-18.

     Electronics business segment sales were higher for the full year as a
result of the inclusion of the defense electronics activities of the
Westinghouse Electric Corporation, which Northrop Grumman acquired March 1,
1996, and now operates as
<PAGE>
 
                                                                          Page 3

its Electronic Sensors and Systems Division.  Results for 1996 reflected only 10
months of ESSD operations.

     Electronics business segment operating profit for the fourth quarter of
1997 was reduced by a $20 million charge related to an increase in the cost
estimate to complete the company's work on the Directed Infrared Countermeasures
(DIRCM) program.

     Electronics business segment operating profit for all of 1997 was reduced
by a cumulative margin rate adjustment of $53 million on the E-8 Joint STARS in
the third quarter and a total of $33 million on DIRCM.  Partially offsetting
these downward adjustments was a $20 million MX missile claim settlement
recorded in the third quarter of 1997.  Electronics business segment results for
1996 included a $29 million avionics claim writedown recorded in the third
quarter for work performed by the former Grumman Corporation prior to its
acquisition by Northrop in 1994.

     Information Technology and Services business segment operating profit
improved in both the fourth quarter and full year as a result of the return to
profitability of the company's data systems activities and increased margin
rates on higher sales at Logicon Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary.

     Interest expense in the fourth quarter was $60 million, down $13 million
from the fourth quarter of 1996.  Interest expense for the full year was $257
million versus $270 million for the same period a year ago.

     For all of 1997, the company had a weighted average of 66,716,065 shares
outstanding compared with a weighted average of 62,603,724 shares outstanding
during 1996.

     In July 1997, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin Corporation announced a
definitive agreement to combine the companies to further enhance efficiencies
and increase global competitiveness.  Under the terms of the agreement, Northrop
<PAGE>
 
                                                                          Page 4

Grumman shareholders will receive 1.1923 shares of Lockheed Martin common stock
for each share of Northrop Grumman stock.

     The transaction, which is subject to shareholder approval, is estimated to
be completed in the first quarter of 1998.

                                   #   #   #
<PAGE>
 
                           NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORPORATION
                                OPERATING RESULTS
                           YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,1997
                         ($ in millions, except per share)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                        FUNDED
                                   CONTRACT ACQUISITIONS                             ORDER BACKLOG
                            -------------------------------------                 -------------------
                             FOURTH QUARTER        TOTAL YEAR                         DECEMBER 31,
                            ----------------    -----------------                 -------------------
                             1997      1996      1997      1996                    1997        1996
                            ------    ------    ------    -------                 -------     -------
<S>                         <C>       <C>       <C>       <C>                     <C>         <C> 
                                                                              
Aircraft                    $  696    $1,626    $3,355    $ 4,144                 $ 5,993     $ 7,045
                                                                                                     
Electronics                  1,593     1,233     4,404      6,278                   5,462       5,158
                                                                                                     
Information Technology                                                                               
 and Services                  372       330       957        983                     447         511
                                                                                                     
Intersegment                                                                                         
 Eliminations                  (96)      (78)     (368)      (310)                    (40)        (47)
                            ------    ------    ------    -------                 -------     -------
  Total                     $2,565    $3,111    $8,348    $11,095                 $11,862     $12,667  
                            ======    ======    ======    =======                 =======     =======
</TABLE>

<TABLE> 
<CAPTION> 
                                         NET SALES                                   OPERATING PROFIT           
                            ------------------------------------          -------------------------------------
                             FOURTH QUARTER        TOTAL YEAR              FOURTH QUARTER        TOTAL YEAR    
                            ----------------    ----------------          ----------------    -----------------
                             1997      1996      1997      1996            1997      1996      1997      1996  
                            ------    ------    ------    ------          ------    ------    ------    -------
<S>                         <C>       <C>       <C>       <C>             <C>       <C>       <C>       <C>    
                                                                                                               
Aircraft                    $1,162    $1,116    $4,405    $4,112          $  194    $  104    $  654    $  499 
                                                                                                              
Electronics                  1,174     1,135     4,101     3,883              86       123       309       360
                                                                                                              
Information Technology                                                                                        
 and Services                  278       242     1,022       910              26        (1)       95        49
                                                                                                                
Intersegment                                               
 Eliminations                 (104)      (80)     (375)     (298)                                                
                            ------    ------    ------    ------          ------    ------    ------    ------
  Total                     $2,510    $2,413    $9,153    $8,607             306       226     1,058       908   
                            ======    ======    ======    ======          
</TABLE> 

<TABLE> 
<S>                                                                       <C>       <C>       <C>       <C>    
                    
                            Adjustments to reconcile operating profit
                            to operating margin:
                              Other deductions(income)
                              included above                                   1        (8)       (6)      (17)
                              State and local income taxes                     1       (24)       (6)      (52)
                              General corporate expenses                     (35)      (33)     (127)     (123)
                              Mark to market                                                          
                               restricted stock rights                       (27)       (2)      (39)      (13)
                                                                          ------    ------    ------    ------
                            Operating margin                                 246       159       880       703
                                                                                                      
                            Other income(deductions)                          (2)      (45)       28        (1)
                            Interest expense                                 (60)      (73)     (257)     (270)
                                                                          ------    ------    ------    ------
                            Income before income taxes                       184        41       651       432
                                                                                                      
                            Federal income taxes                              67        17       244       168
                                                                          ------    ------    ------    ------
                            Net income                                    $  117    $   24    $  407    $  264
                                                                          ======    ======    ======    ======
                                                                                                      
                            Earnings Per Share:                                                       
                                                                                                      
                              Basic                                       $ 1.75    $ 0.38    $ 6.10    $ 4.22
                                                                          ======    ======    ======    ======
                                                                                                      
                              Diluted                                     $ 1.71    $ 0.38    $ 5.98    $ 4.15
                                                                          ======    ======    ======    ======
</TABLE>                
<PAGE>
 
                           NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORPORATION
                         ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION
                               ($ in millions)

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
NET SALES BY PROGRAM:                  FOURTH QUARTER        TOTAL YEAR    
                                      ----------------    ---------------- 
                                       1997      1996      1997      1996  
                                      ------    ------    ------    ------ 
<S>                                   <C>       <C>       <C>       <C>    
B-2                                   $  425    $  454    $1,615    $1,725 
SURVEILLANCE AIRCRAFT E-8,E-2            328       293     1,073     1,104
BOEING JETLINERS                         222       148       858       569
AIRBORNE RADAR                           177       172       668       560
MARINE                                   164       185       590       496
F/A-18                                   155       194       551       715
ECM                                       96       112       384       398
SPACE                                    101       101       328       315
AIRSPACE MANAGEMENT                      103        52       297       223
C-17                                      61        55       276       249
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND SERVICES      289       236     1,022       905
ALL OTHER                                389       411     1,491     1,348
                                      ------    ------    ------    ------
                                      $2,510    $2,413    $9,153    $8,607
                                      ======    ======    ======    ======
</TABLE> 
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------

<TABLE> 
<CAPTION> 
AIRCRAFT UNITS DELIVERED               FOURTH QUARTER        TOTAL YEAR   
                                      ----------------    ----------------
                                       1997      1996      1997      1996 
                                      ------    ------    ------    ------
<S>                                   <C>       <C>       <C>       <C>   
  747                                   14         7        46        28   
  F/A-18 C/D                             9        19        35        68
  F/A-18 E/F                             0         0         0         3
  C-17                                   2         1         8         6
  B-2                                    2         0         4         4
</TABLE>

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------

<TABLE> 
<CAPTION> 
AMORTIZATION OF GOODWILL AND OTHER
PURCHASED INTANGIBLES BY SEGMENT
 
                                       FOURTH QUARTER        TOTAL YEAR    
                                      ----------------    ----------------
                                       1997      1996      1997      1996 
                                      ------    ------    ------    ------
<S>                                   <C>       <C>       <C>       <C>   
Aircraft                              $   4     $   4     $  16      $  16  
                                       
Electronics                              39        41       158        138
                                                                       
Information Technology                                                 
  and Services                            3         3        11         11
                                      -----     -----     -----      -----
                                      $  46     $  48     $ 185      $ 165
                                      =====     =====     =====      =====
</TABLE> 


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