Lockheed Martin Co. (NYSE:LMT) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts

Shares of Lockheed Martin Co. (NYSE:LMT - Get Free Report) have received an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the fourteen brokerages that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have issued a hold recommendation, eight have assigned a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $606.71.

LMT has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Barclays increased their price objective on Lockheed Martin from $480.00 to $505.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 30th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Lockheed Martin from $503.00 to $599.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, August 9th. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on Lockheed Martin from $519.00 to $626.00 in a research note on Tuesday. Melius Research upgraded Lockheed Martin to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 3rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Lockheed Martin from $560.00 to $630.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, October 14th.

Lockheed Martin Trading Down 0.3 %

LMT stock traded down $1.92 during trading on Friday, hitting $562.29. 1,077,563 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,054,995. The firm has a market capitalization of $134.03 billion, a PE ratio of 20.36, a P/E/G ratio of 4.62 and a beta of 0.47. Lockheed Martin has a 1 year low of $413.92 and a 1 year high of $618.95. The company has a 50-day moving average of $580.07 and a 200-day moving average of $514.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a current ratio of 1.30.

Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 22nd. The aerospace company reported $6.84 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.50 by $0.34. The company had revenue of $17.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $17.38 billion. Lockheed Martin had a return on equity of 101.44% and a net margin of 9.36%. Lockheed Martin's quarterly revenue was up 1.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $6.77 EPS. Analysts predict that Lockheed Martin will post 26.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lockheed Martin Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 27th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 2nd will be paid a $3.30 dividend. This is an increase from Lockheed Martin's previous quarterly dividend of $3.15. This represents a $13.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.35%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 2nd. Lockheed Martin's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 45.62%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lockheed Martin

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in shares of Lockheed Martin by 130.0% in the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 3,572 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $1,668,000 after buying an additional 2,019 shares during the last quarter. Buck Wealth Strategies LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lockheed Martin in the 2nd quarter worth $6,611,000. McAdam LLC boosted its stake in shares of Lockheed Martin by 101.7% in the 3rd quarter. McAdam LLC now owns 1,178 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $689,000 after buying an additional 594 shares during the last quarter. Verity & Verity LLC boosted its stake in shares of Lockheed Martin by 3.2% in the 2nd quarter. Verity & Verity LLC now owns 34,236 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $15,992,000 after buying an additional 1,071 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Watts Gwilliam & Co. LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lockheed Martin in the 3rd quarter worth $1,096,000. 74.19% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other 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.