Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) Given New $172.00 Price Target at Wells Fargo & Company

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) had its price objective upped by Wells Fargo & Company from $168.00 to $172.00 in a report issued on Thursday, Benzinga reports. They currently have an overweight rating on the aerospace company’s stock.

Several other analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Leidos from $165.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Leidos from $165.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on Leidos from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 10th. Truist Financial reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $165.00 target price (up from $150.00) on shares of Leidos in a report on Wednesday, May 1st. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on Leidos from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $160.17.

Leidos Stock Down 2.2 %

LDOS traded down $3.14 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $142.25. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 453,893 shares, compared to its average volume of 895,043. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 62.67, a PEG ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a current ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. Leidos has a 1 year low of $89.22 and a 1 year high of $155.45. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $147.13 and its 200-day moving average is $134.80.

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 30th. The aerospace company reported $2.63 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.27 by $0.36. The company 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 firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.80 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that Leidos will post 8.87 EPS for the current year.

Leidos Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 27th. Investors of record on Friday, September 13th will be given a $0.38 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 13th. This represents a $1.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.07%. Leidos’s dividend payout ratio is presently 65.52%.

Insider Activity at Leidos

In other news, insider Roy E. Stevens sold 875 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.67, for a total transaction of $131,836.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 44,149 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,651,929.83. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.96% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Leidos

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in LDOS. Farmers & Merchants Trust Co of Chambersburg PA bought a new stake in shares of Leidos during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Lindbrook Capital LLC raised its holdings in Leidos by 209.0% during the fourth quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 275 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 186 shares in the last quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. bought a new stake in Leidos during the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. Tidemark LLC bought a new stake in Leidos in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. raised its stake in Leidos by 251.3% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 281 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 201 shares during the period. 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.