NEWPORT NEWS, Va., May 11, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. (NYSE:HII) reported first quarter 2011 sales of $1.68 billion, down 1.6 percent from the same period last year, and operating margin of 5.0 percent, essentially flat year over year. First quarter earnings per share was $0.92, up from $0.85 in 2010. New business awards for the 2011 first quarter totaled $1.7 billion, bringing total backlog to $17.4 billion as of March 31, 2011. "As a newly independent company, we are focused on providing high-quality products and services to our customers, the U.S.