StockNews.com Upgrades Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) to Strong-Buy

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Leidos (NYSE:LDOS - Free Report) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report released on Thursday.

A number of other research analysts have also recently commented on LDOS. The Goldman Sachs Group cut Leidos from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and cut their target price for the company from $228.00 to $153.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. TD Cowen lowered Leidos from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $200.00 to $165.00 in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised shares of Leidos to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of Leidos from $162.00 to $156.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Truist Financial lowered their price objective on shares of Leidos from $185.00 to $165.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $178.07.

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Leidos Price Performance

Shares of NYSE LDOS traded up $1.18 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $134.08. 651,362 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,180,278. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 1.21 and a quick ratio of 1.13. Leidos has a 1 year low of $123.23 and a 1 year high of $202.90. The company's 50-day moving average is $135.48 and its two-hundred day moving average is $152.88. The company has a market capitalization of $17.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.45, a PEG ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.66.

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 7.53% and a return on equity of 30.93%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Leidos will post 10.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Leidos Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th were paid a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 14th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.19%. Leidos's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 17.32%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Leidos

In other Leidos news, Director Gary Stephen May sold 2,128 shares of Leidos stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.24, for a total transaction of $279,278.72. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 11,264 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,478,287.36. The trade was a 15.89 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Robert C. Kovarik, Jr. sold 1,511 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $134.56, for a total transaction of $203,320.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 6,408 shares in the company, valued at approximately $862,260.48. This trade represents a 19.08 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.96% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Marshall & Sterling Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Leidos during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Duncker Streett & Co. Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Leidos in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. REAP Financial Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Leidos by 422.2% during the 4th quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 188 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 152 shares during the period. Berbice Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Leidos during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Mather Group LLC. increased its holdings in Leidos by 143.1% in the 4th quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 265 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 156 shares in the last quarter. 76.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.