Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) Price Target Raised to $180.00

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) had its price objective increased by Royal Bank of Canada from $145.00 to $180.00 in a report published on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a sector perform rating on the aerospace company’s stock.

A number of other research analysts have also weighed in on the company. Bank of America raised their price objective on Leidos from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Truist Financial raised their price objective on Leidos from $175.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Barclays raised their price objective on Leidos from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, August 5th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Leidos from $172.00 to $183.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Finally, TD Cowen lifted their price target on Leidos from $155.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Leidos presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $187.77.

Leidos Trading Down 0.1 %

Shares of LDOS stock opened at $185.71 on Wednesday. Leidos has a 52-week low of $94.57 and a 52-week high of $188.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.21. The firm has a market capitalization of $25.02 billion, a PE ratio of 58.22, a PEG ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 0.70. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $161.89 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $150.56.

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 29th. The aerospace company reported $2.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.96 by $0.97. Leidos had a return on equity of 28.40% and a net margin of 2.72%. The business had revenue of $4.19 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.06 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.03 EPS. Leidos’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that Leidos will post 8.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Leidos Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.86%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 16th. This is an increase from Leidos’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.38. Leidos’s payout ratio is currently 47.65%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Gary Stephen May sold 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $144.02, for a total value of $144,020.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 11,264 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,622,241.28. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.96% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Leidos

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC purchased a new position in Leidos in the third quarter worth $30,000. 1832 Asset Management L.P. purchased a new position in Leidos in the second quarter worth $34,000. Blue Trust Inc. grew its holdings in Leidos by 251.3% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 281 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 201 shares during the last quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV grew its holdings in Leidos by 122.5% in the second quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 307 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 169 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kathleen S. Wright Associates Inc. purchased a new position in Leidos in the third quarter worth $46,000. Institutional investors own 76.12% of the company’s stock.

About Leidos

Leidos Holdings, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides services and solutions in the defense, intelligence, civil, and health markets in the United States and internationally. The company operates through Defense Solutions, Civil, and Health segments. The Defense Solutions segment offers national security solutions and systems for air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace for the U.S.