Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) Price Target Cut to $156.00 by Analysts at UBS Group

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) had its target price reduced by UBS Group from $162.00 to $156.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have a neutral rating on the aerospace company’s stock.

A number of other analysts also recently weighed in on LDOS. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Leidos from $194.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut Leidos from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $228.00 to $153.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Cantor Fitzgerald began coverage on Leidos in a research note on Friday, February 7th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $185.00 price objective for the company. Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on Leidos from $180.00 to $218.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Finally, Barclays increased their price target on Leidos from $165.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, November 4th. Five 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Leidos currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $176.27.

Leidos Stock Performance

NYSE LDOS opened at $136.82 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 1.23 and a quick ratio of 1.15. Leidos has a 1-year low of $118.40 and a 1-year high of $202.90. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $148.78 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $157.63. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.26 billion, a PE ratio of 15.58, a P/E/G ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 0.66.

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The aerospace company reported $2.37 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.24 by $0.13. Leidos had a net margin of 7.37% and a return on equity of 30.31%. On average, research analysts predict that Leidos will post 10.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Leidos Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th will be issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.17%. Leidos’s payout ratio is 18.22%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Noel B. Geer bought 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 20th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $161.13 per share, with a total value of $322,260.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 2,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $322,260. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.96% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Leidos

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in LDOS. Norges Bank bought a new position in Leidos during the 4th quarter worth about $266,419,000. Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its stake in shares of Leidos by 510.6% during the fourth quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 999,661 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $144,011,000 after purchasing an additional 835,930 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC increased its holdings in Leidos by 27.8% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 2,405,726 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $392,133,000 after buying an additional 522,764 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in Leidos by 13.1% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 3,504,392 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $571,216,000 after buying an additional 405,256 shares during the period. Finally, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans raised its stake in Leidos by 435.1% in the fourth quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 464,573 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $67,032,000 after buying an additional 377,756 shares in the last quarter. 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.