Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. Lowers Holdings in Lockheed Martin Co. (NYSE:LMT)

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. lessened its stake in shares of Lockheed Martin Co. (NYSE:LMT - Free Report) by 32.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,613 shares of the aerospace company's stock after selling 2,211 shares during the quarter. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A.'s holdings in Lockheed Martin were worth $2,241,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Millstone Evans Group LLC bought a new position in Lockheed Martin in the 4th quarter worth about $32,000. Mizuho Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Lockheed Martin during the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Heck Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Lockheed Martin in the fourth quarter worth approximately $35,000. Redwood Park Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Lockheed Martin in the fourth quarter worth approximately $40,000. Finally, Runnymede Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Lockheed Martin during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $42,000. 74.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Robert M. Lightfoot, Jr. sold 3,213 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $442.42, for a total value of $1,421,495.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 2,000 shares in the company, valued at $884,840. This trade represents a 61.63 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Harry Edward Paul III sold 707 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $442.61, for a total transaction of $312,925.27. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 2,278 shares in the company, valued at $1,008,265.58. The trade was a 23.69 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 7,133 shares of company stock worth $3,155,916 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.14% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently commented on LMT. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Lockheed Martin from $476.00 to $432.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 8th. Morgan Stanley raised Lockheed Martin from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $575.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 16th. Susquehanna lowered their price target on Lockheed Martin from $590.00 to $550.00 and set a "positive" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 29th. Truist Financial initiated coverage on Lockheed Martin in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $579.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada cut Lockheed Martin from an "outperform" rating to a "sector perform" rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $550.00 to $480.00 in a report on Thursday, March 27th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $544.79.

Lockheed Martin Trading Up 2.4 %

Shares of LMT stock traded up $11.01 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $477.82. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,521,067 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,252,868. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.10. Lockheed Martin Co. has a one year low of $418.88 and a one year high of $618.95. The stock has a market capitalization of $112.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.47, a P/E/G ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.39. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $455.79 and its 200 day simple moving average is $490.90.

Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 22nd. The aerospace company reported $7.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.34 by $0.94. Lockheed Martin had a net margin of 7.51% and a return on equity of 101.47%. The business had revenue of $17.96 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $17.83 billion. Equities research analysts expect that Lockheed Martin Co. will post 27.15 EPS for the current year.

Lockheed Martin Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd were paid a $3.30 dividend. This represents a $13.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.76%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. Lockheed Martin's payout ratio is currently 57.02%.

About Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin Corporation, a security and aerospace company, engages in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of technology systems, products, and services worldwide. The company operates through Aeronautics, Missiles and Fire Control, Rotary and Mission Systems, and Space segments.