Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) Upgraded to Overweight at Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT - Free Report) from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday morning, Marketbeat reports. The firm currently has $575.00 target price on the aerospace company's stock.

Several other research firms have also recently weighed in on LMT. Susquehanna lowered their price objective on shares of Lockheed Martin from $590.00 to $550.00 and set a "positive" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 29th. UBS Group dropped their price objective on Lockheed Martin from $527.00 to $508.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. Melius lowered shares of Lockheed Martin from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, March 24th. Melius Research downgraded shares of Lockheed Martin from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, March 24th. Finally, Barclays reduced their target price on Lockheed Martin from $565.00 to $515.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $539.93.

Lockheed Martin Stock Performance

Shares of LMT stock traded down $13.28 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $463.80. The stock had a trading volume of 3,051,557 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,245,353. Lockheed Martin has a one year low of $418.88 and a one year high of $618.95. The firm has a market cap of $108.79 billion, a PE ratio of 20.84, a P/E/G ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a quick ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.10. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $452.24 and its 200 day simple moving average is $497.25.

Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 28th. The aerospace company reported $7.67 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.58 by $1.09. Lockheed Martin had a net margin of 7.51% and a return on equity of 101.47%. On average, analysts forecast that Lockheed Martin will post 27.15 EPS for the current year.

Lockheed Martin Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were given a $3.30 dividend. This represents a $13.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.85%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. Lockheed Martin's dividend payout ratio is presently 59.30%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP Harry Edward Paul III sold 707 shares of Lockheed Martin stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $442.61, for a total transaction of $312,925.27. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 2,278 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,008,265.58. The trade was a 23.69 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Robert M. Lightfoot, Jr. sold 3,213 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $442.42, for a total transaction of $1,421,495.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 2,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $884,840. This trade represents a 61.63 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 7,133 shares of company stock valued at $3,155,916 in the last three months. 0.14% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lockheed Martin

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. CFS Investment Advisory Services LLC raised its position in shares of Lockheed Martin by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. CFS Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 1,091 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $530,000 after purchasing an additional 21 shares during the period. Wynn Capital LLC grew its holdings in Lockheed Martin by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Wynn Capital LLC now owns 2,185 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $1,062,000 after buying an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. PBMares Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Lockheed Martin by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. PBMares Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,745 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $1,820,000 after buying an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. Nvwm LLC grew its stake in Lockheed Martin by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Nvwm LLC now owns 908 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $441,000 after buying an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Schear Investment Advisers LLC increased its position in shares of Lockheed Martin by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Schear Investment Advisers LLC now owns 1,147 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $557,000 after purchasing an additional 22 shares during the last quarter. 74.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.