The recent downward pressure on Northrop Grumman (NOC) shares is primarily driven by a significant geopolitical shift that sparked a sector-wide selloff across defense equities. The signing of an interim memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran, aimed at de-escalating their months-long conflict, has dramatically compressed the geopolitical risk premium that had previously supported defense contractors. As the potential reopening of vital shipping lanes like the Strait of Hormuz became likely, global oil prices eased, prompting institutional portfolio adjustments. Investors rotated capital out of defensive safe havens and into risk-on, growth-oriented sectors like technology and consumer goods, compounding the…