Northrop Grumman Corp. reported fourth-quarter earnings Thursday of $454 million ($1.31 per share), up slightly from $453 million ($1.28) from the same period a year earlier. The results met analysts expectations.

Sales for the Los Angeles-based government contractor climbed 10 percent to $8.82 billion, helped by a 19 percent surge in sales from its shipyards along the Gulf of Mexico, which were damaged heavily in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina.

Northrop added that sales from its information services sector jumped 11 percent, which is in line with Chief Executive Ronald Sugar’s push to expand computer-support services it offers the government.

Shares in Northrop were down 26 cents to $78.06 in early trading Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange.