Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) Stock Price Down 1.7% - Should You Sell?

Shares of Lockheed Martin Co. (NYSE:LMT - Get Free Report) fell 1.7% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $442.35 and last traded at $450.67. 809,912 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 35% from the average session volume of 1,244,981 shares. The stock had previously closed at $458.33.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have weighed in on LMT shares. Robert W. Baird raised Lockheed Martin from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $540.00 target price on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of Lockheed Martin from $700.00 to $600.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Bank of America downgraded shares of Lockheed Martin from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and reduced their price target for the company from $685.00 to $485.00 in a report on Monday, March 24th. Susquehanna dropped 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 note on Wednesday, January 29th. Finally, Truist Financial initiated coverage on Lockheed Martin in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $579.00 target price on the stock. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $544.79.

Lockheed Martin Stock Performance

The company's fifty day moving average price is $454.80 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $493.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $111.06 billion, a PE ratio of 21.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.10, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a current ratio of 1.13.

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

Lockheed Martin Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were paid a dividend of $3.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $13.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.79%. Lockheed Martin's dividend payout ratio is presently 57.02%.

Insider Transactions at Lockheed Martin

In other news, insider Robert M. Lightfoot, Jr. sold 3,213 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the insider now owns 2,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at $884,840. This represents a 61.63 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Harry Edward Paul III sold 707 shares of Lockheed Martin stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $442.61, for a total transaction of $312,925.27. Following the transaction, the vice president now 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 have sold a total of 7,133 shares of company stock worth $3,155,916 in the last three months. 0.14% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund lifted its position in Lockheed Martin by 51.7% during the 4th quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund now owns 9,528 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $4,630,000 after acquiring an additional 3,247 shares in the last quarter. Capital Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Lockheed Martin by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. Capital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 92,131 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $44,770,000 after purchasing an additional 2,011 shares in the last quarter. Brady Martz Wealth Solutions LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lockheed Martin in the fourth quarter valued at $1,266,000. World Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Lockheed Martin by 55.1% during the 3rd quarter. World Investment Advisors LLC now owns 6,468 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $3,781,000 after purchasing an additional 2,297 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Private Advisor Group LLC increased its stake in Lockheed Martin by 11.0% during the 4th quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 51,253 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $24,906,000 after buying an additional 5,075 shares during the period. 74.19% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lockheed Martin Company Profile

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.