Barclays Raises Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) Price Target to $160.00

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) had its price objective raised by Barclays from $145.00 to $160.00 in a research report report published on Monday morning, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an overweight rating on the aerospace company’s stock.

LDOS has been the subject of a number of other reports. TheStreet upgraded Leidos from a c rating to a b rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 13th. Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of Leidos from $125.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 27th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on Leidos from $120.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 1st. Truist Financial restated a buy rating and set a $165.00 target price (up previously from $150.00) on shares of Leidos in a research report on Wednesday, May 1st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on Leidos from $138.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, May 1st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $145.67.

Leidos Stock Performance

NYSE:LDOS opened at $145.50 on Monday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $130.16 and its 200-day moving average is $116.43. The stock has a market cap of $19.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 62.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 0.66. Leidos has a 1-year low of $76.58 and a 1-year high of $145.50. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.07.

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 30th. The aerospace company reported $2.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.70 by $0.59. The firm had revenue of $3.98 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.82 billion. Leidos had a net margin of 2.04% and a return on equity of 25.66%. The company’s revenue was up 7.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.47 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Leidos will post 8.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Leidos Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 28th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 14th will be paid a dividend of $0.38 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 14th. This represents a $1.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.04%. Leidos’s payout ratio is 65.52%.

Insider Activity at Leidos

In other Leidos news, Director Gary Stephen May sold 2,745 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.49, for a total transaction of $341,725.05. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 11,352 shares in the company, valued at $1,413,210.48. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other Leidos news, Director Gary Stephen May sold 2,745 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.49, for a total transaction of $341,725.05. Following the sale, the director now owns 11,352 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,413,210.48. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director David G. Fubini sold 7,874 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.89, for a total value of $1,007,005.86. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 14,696 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,879,471.44. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.96% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Leidos

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Leidos in the 4th quarter worth approximately $18,976,000. Raymond James & Associates raised its position in shares of Leidos by 18.6% in the fourth quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 245,665 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $26,591,000 after buying an additional 38,496 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp boosted its stake in Leidos by 7.8% during the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 1,143,664 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $105,400,000 after buying an additional 82,447 shares during the period. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC grew its position in Leidos by 134.9% during the third quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 14,114 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $1,301,000 after buying an additional 8,106 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Creative Planning raised its holdings in shares of Leidos by 15.6% in the 3rd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 95,319 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $8,785,000 after acquiring an additional 12,839 shares in the last quarter. 76.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.