Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) Rating Increased to Buy at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report released on Monday morning.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on LMT. Bank of America cut Lockheed Martin from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their price target for the stock from $685.00 to $485.00 in a report on Monday. UBS Group reduced their target price on shares of Lockheed Martin from $527.00 to $508.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. Melius cut shares of Lockheed Martin from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday. Susquehanna cut their price objective on shares of Lockheed Martin from $590.00 to $550.00 and set a “positive” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 29th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “equal weight” rating on shares of Lockheed Martin in a research note on Monday, March 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $544.20.

Lockheed Martin Stock Performance

NYSE:LMT opened at $434.72 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.10. The company has a market capitalization of $102.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.43. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $459.96 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $513.50. Lockheed Martin has a twelve month low of $419.70 and a twelve month high of $618.95.

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

Lockheed Martin Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd will be given a $3.30 dividend. This represents a $13.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.04%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. Lockheed Martin’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 59.30%.

Insider Activity at Lockheed Martin

In other Lockheed Martin news, insider Robert M. Lightfoot, Jr. sold 3,213 shares of Lockheed Martin stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $442.42, for a total transaction of $1,421,495.46. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 2,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $884,840. The trade was a 61.63 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Harry Edward Paul III sold 707 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $442.61, for a total transaction of $312,925.27. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 2,278 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,008,265.58. This represents a 23.69 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 7,133 shares of company stock worth $3,155,916. 0.17% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Proficio Capital Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Lockheed Martin by 53,784.3% in the fourth quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,235,568 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $600,412,000 after buying an additional 1,233,275 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in Lockheed Martin by 17.9% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 7,471,071 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $3,630,492,000 after acquiring an additional 1,132,461 shares in the last quarter. Castlekeep Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Lockheed Martin in the 4th quarter worth approximately $526,587,000. Leigh Baldwin & CO. LLC acquired a new stake in Lockheed Martin in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $451,985,000. Finally, Van ECK Associates Corp raised its stake in shares of Lockheed Martin by 1,239.6% during the fourth quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 548,237 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $266,410,000 after purchasing an additional 507,312 shares during the period. 74.19% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.