Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) Shares Down 2.8% - Time to Sell?

Lockheed Martin Co. (NYSE:LMT - Get Free Report) shares traded down 2.8% on Friday . The company traded as low as $448.39 and last traded at $463.80. 3,051,557 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 145% from the average session volume of 1,243,241 shares. The stock had previously closed at $477.08.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Bank of America downgraded shares of Lockheed Martin from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $685.00 to $485.00 in a research note on Monday, March 24th. Barclays lowered their target price on Lockheed Martin from $565.00 to $515.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. Morgan Stanley upgraded Lockheed Martin from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $575.00 price target on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 16th. Melius downgraded shares of Lockheed Martin from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, March 24th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Lockheed Martin from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $539.93.

Lockheed Martin Trading Up 0.7 %

The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.10. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $452.57 and its 200 day moving average price is $494.72. The company has a market cap of $108.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.74, a P/E/G ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.39.

Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 firm had revenue of $17.96 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.83 billion. As a group, equities analysts expect that Lockheed Martin Co. will post 27.15 EPS for the current year.

Lockheed Martin Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd were given a $3.30 dividend. This represents a $13.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.86%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. Lockheed Martin's payout ratio is currently 59.30%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Lockheed Martin news, insider Robert M. Lightfoot, Jr. sold 3,213 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $442.42, for a total transaction of $1,421,495.46. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 2,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $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 accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Harry Edward Paul III sold 707 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owns 2,278 shares in the company, valued at $1,008,265.58. The trade was a 23.69 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 7,133 shares of company stock worth $3,155,916. Insiders own 0.14% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Millstone Evans Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lockheed Martin during the fourth quarter valued at about $32,000. Mizuho Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Lockheed Martin during the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. Heck Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Lockheed Martin in the 4th quarter worth $35,000. Redwood Park Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Lockheed Martin in the 4th quarter worth approximately $40,000. Finally, Runnymede Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Lockheed Martin in the fourth quarter worth $42,000. Institutional investors own 74.19% of the company's stock.

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.