Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) has been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the twelve analysts that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $166.92.

LDOS has been the topic of several analyst reports. TD Cowen boosted their price objective on Leidos from $155.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Leidos from $175.00 to $185.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Leidos from $172.00 to $183.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on Leidos from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Finally, Barclays increased their price target on Leidos from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, August 5th.

Leidos Stock Performance

NYSE:LDOS opened at $164.55 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $154.55 and a 200 day moving average price of $146.17. The company has a current ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. Leidos has a 12-month low of $90.30 and a 12-month high of $168.02. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 70.93, a P/E/G ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 0.70.

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The aerospace company reported $2.63 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.27 by $0.36. The firm had revenue of $4.13 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.06 billion. Leidos had a net margin of 2.72% and a return on equity of 28.40%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.80 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that Leidos will post 8.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Leidos Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 13th were issued a dividend of $0.38 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, September 13th. This represents a $1.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.92%. Leidos’s dividend payout ratio is currently 65.52%.

Insider Transactions at Leidos

In other news, Director Gary Stephen May sold 1,000 shares of the firm’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 transaction of $144,020.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 11,264 shares in the company, valued at $1,622,241.28. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, Director Gary Stephen May sold 1,000 shares of Leidos 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 sale, the director now owns 11,264 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,622,241.28. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Thomas Arthur Bell bought 1,712 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 1st. The stock was bought at an average price of $145.04 per share, with a total value of $248,308.48. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 22,398 shares in the company, valued at $3,248,605.92. The trade was a 0.00 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders own 0.96% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Leidos

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Millennium Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Leidos by 156.5% during the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,133,508 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $165,356,000 after purchasing an additional 691,575 shares during the last quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC increased its stake in Leidos by 1,184.3% in the second quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC now owns 501,868 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $73,213,000 after purchasing an additional 462,792 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Leidos by 76.9% in the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 698,807 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $101,942,000 after purchasing an additional 303,775 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its stake in Leidos by 138.5% in the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 517,498 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $67,840,000 after purchasing an additional 300,486 shares during the period. Finally, Acadian Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Leidos in the second quarter valued at $37,540,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.12% of the company’s stock.

Leidos Company Profile

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.