BAE Systems plc (LON:BA) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

BAE Systems plc (LON:BA) has been assigned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the seven brokerages that are covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is GBX 1,335 ($16.77).

A number of analysts have recently commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of BAE Systems from GBX 1,300 ($16.33) to GBX 1,400 ($17.59) and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 22nd. Berenberg Bank reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a GBX 1,220 ($15.32) target price on shares of BAE Systems in a research note on Wednesday, February 21st. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of BAE Systems from GBX 1,250 ($15.70) to GBX 1,450 ($18.21) and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on BAE Systems from GBX 1,290 ($16.20) to GBX 1,440 ($18.09) and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 12th. Finally, Citigroup assumed coverage on BAE Systems in a research report on Friday, March 8th. They set a “neutral” rating and a GBX 1,400 ($17.59) price objective for the company.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other BAE Systems news, insider Charles Woodburn sold 331,716 shares of BAE Systems stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 1,255 ($15.76), for a total transaction of £4,163,035.80 ($5,229,287.53). In other BAE Systems news, insider Charles Woodburn sold 331,716 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, March 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 1,255 ($15.76), for a total value of £4,163,035.80 ($5,229,287.53). Also, insider Nicole Piasecki acquired 3,132 shares of BAE Systems stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 27th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of GBX 1,595 ($20.04) per share, for a total transaction of £49,955.40 ($62,750.16). In the last three months, insiders have purchased 16,865 shares of company stock valued at $23,122,077. 0.36% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

BAE Systems Trading Up 2.4 %

LON:BA opened at GBX 1,361.50 ($17.10) on Monday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of GBX 1,306.42 and a 200-day moving average of GBX 1,183.03. The stock has a market cap of £41.39 billion, a PE ratio of 2,215.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 0.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 62.47, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a current ratio of 1.08.

BAE Systems Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 18th will be paid a dividend of GBX 18.50 ($0.23) per share. This represents a dividend yield of 1.48%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 18th. This is a boost from BAE Systems’s previous dividend of $11.50. BAE Systems’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 5,000.00%.

BAE Systems Company Profile

BAE Systems plc provides defense, aerospace, and security solutions worldwide. The company operates through five segments: Electronic Systems, Platforms & Services, Air, Maritime, and Cyber & Intelligence. The Electronic Systems segment offers electronic warfare systems, navigation systems, electro-optical sensors, military and commercial digital engine and flight controls, precision guidance and seeker solutions, military communication systems and data links, persistent surveillance capabilities, space electronics, and electric drive propulsion systems.