Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) Shares Gap Up – Time to Buy?

Lockheed Martin Co. (NYSE:LMT)’s stock price gapped up prior to trading on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $466.74, but opened at $478.09. Lockheed Martin shares last traded at $478.18, with a volume of 560,232 shares trading hands.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. Barclays dropped their price objective on Lockheed Martin from $565.00 to $515.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. StockNews.com lowered Lockheed Martin from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Susquehanna lowered their target price on Lockheed Martin from $590.00 to $550.00 and set a “positive” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an “equal weight” rating on shares of Lockheed Martin in a research note on Monday, March 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on Lockheed Martin from $555.00 to $525.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $554.20.

Lockheed Martin Stock Down 5.7 %

The firm has a market cap of $103.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.78, a P/E/G ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.10, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 0.95. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $460.94 and a 200-day moving average of $514.87.

Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 28th. The aerospace company reported $7.67 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.58 by $1.09. Lockheed Martin had a return on equity of 101.47% and a net margin of 7.51%. Sell-side analysts predict that Lockheed Martin Co. will post 27.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lockheed Martin Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be issued a $3.30 dividend. This represents a $13.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.00%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. Lockheed Martin’s dividend payout ratio is presently 59.30%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lockheed Martin

In related news, insider Robert M. Lightfoot, Jr. sold 3,213 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $442.42, for a total transaction of $1,421,495.46. Following the sale, the insider now owns 2,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $884,840. This trade represents a 61.63 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Harry Edward Paul III sold 707 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $442.61, for a total value of $312,925.27. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 2,278 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,008,265.58. This trade represents a 23.69 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 7,133 shares of company stock valued at $3,155,916. 0.14% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lockheed Martin

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Virtue Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Lockheed Martin by 112.8% during the 3rd quarter. Virtue Capital Management LLC now owns 2,249 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $1,315,000 after acquiring an additional 1,192 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can raised its position in Lockheed Martin by 2.1% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 656,807 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $382,498,000 after purchasing an additional 13,253 shares during the last quarter. Hilltop Holdings Inc. raised its position in Lockheed Martin by 79.9% during the 3rd quarter. Hilltop Holdings Inc. now owns 12,068 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $7,054,000 after purchasing an additional 5,361 shares during the last quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund raised its position in Lockheed Martin by 51.7% during the 4th quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund now owns 9,528 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $4,630,000 after purchasing an additional 3,247 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in Lockheed Martin by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Capital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 92,131 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $44,770,000 after purchasing an additional 2,011 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.19% of the company’s stock.

Lockheed Martin Company Profile

Lockheed Martin Corporation, a security and aerospace company, engages in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of technology systems, products, and services worldwide. The company operates through Aeronautics, Missiles and Fire Control, Rotary and Mission Systems, and Space segments.