Northrop Grumman profit rises

NEW YORK, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Defense contractor Northrop Grumman Corp (NOC.N) said on Thursday fourth-quarter profit rose slightly, helped by strong sales at its information technology, electronics and shipbuilding units.

The No. 3 Pentagon supplier, behind Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) and Boeing Co (BA.N), reported quarterly net profit of $454 million, or $1.31 per share, compared with $453 million, or $1.28 per share, in the year-ago quarter. (Reporting by Bill Rigby, editing by Dave Zimmerman)