Northrop Grumman (NOC) is one of the stocks most watched by Zacks.com visitors lately. So, it might be a good idea to review some of the factors that might affect the near-term performance of the stock.Over the past month, shares of this defense contractor have returned +4%, compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -4.1% change. During this period, the Zacks Aerospace - Defense industry, which Northrop Grumman falls in, has lost 9.2%. The key question now is: What could be the stock's future direction?Whil ...