First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. Sells 14,341 Shares of Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS)

First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. lessened its holdings in shares of Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) by 25.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 42,067 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after selling 14,341 shares during the quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co.’s holdings in Leidos were worth $6,060,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Rakuten Securities Inc. grew its stake in shares of Leidos by 1,460.0% in the third quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 156 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 146 shares during the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Leidos in the third quarter worth $29,000. Berbice Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Leidos in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Leidos in the third quarter worth $30,000. Finally, 1832 Asset Management L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of Leidos in the second quarter worth $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.12% of the company’s stock.

Leidos Stock Down 2.0 %

Shares of NYSE:LDOS opened at $145.97 on Friday. Leidos Holdings, Inc. has a one year low of $108.95 and a one year high of $202.90. The company has a 50 day moving average of $153.95 and a 200-day moving average of $158.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 1.23 and a quick ratio of 1.15. The stock has a market cap of $19.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.63, a P/E/G ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 0.66.

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 29th. The aerospace company reported $2.93 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.96 by $0.97. Leidos had a net margin of 7.37% and a return on equity of 30.31%. The company had revenue of $4.19 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.06 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.03 EPS. Leidos’s revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Leidos Holdings, Inc. will post 10.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on LDOS shares. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on shares of Leidos from $180.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded shares of Leidos from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $228.00 to $153.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Leidos from $175.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Leidos from $205.00 to $199.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, TD Cowen downgraded shares of Leidos from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $200.00 to $165.00 in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $179.07.

Insider Transactions at Leidos

In related news, Director Noel B. Geer purchased 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 20th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $161.13 per share, with a total value of $322,260.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 2,000 shares in the company, valued at $322,260. This represents a ∞ increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Robert C. Kovarik, Jr. sold 1,047 shares of Leidos stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $184.94, for a total transaction of $193,632.18. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 6,408 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,185,095.52. The trade was a 14.04 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.96% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.