Weapons maker Northrop forecasts 2017 earnings below estimates

Northrop Grumman Corp, a supplier of parts to the F-35 jets, forecast 2017 earnings per share below Street estimates due to lower segment operating margins, which some analysts attributed to costs related to certain of its new programs. Northrop, which also makes the Global Hawk surveillance planes, forecast 2017 segment operating margin in the mid-11 percent range, lower than last year's 12 percent. Northrop in 2015 won the contract to produce the "Raider", the U.S. Air Force's new B-21 long-ra