Zacks Research Has Optimistic Outlook of Leidos Q1 Earnings

Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS - Free Report) - Equities research analysts at Zacks Research increased their Q1 2026 EPS estimates for shares of Leidos in a report issued on Wednesday, December 11th. Zacks Research analyst A. Dutta now forecasts that the aerospace company will post earnings of $2.31 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $2.28. The consensus estimate for Leidos' current full-year earnings is $9.89 per share.

Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded Leidos from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $228.00 to $153.00 in a report on Thursday. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on Leidos from $180.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Citigroup increased their price objective on Leidos from $194.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Truist Financial decreased their target price on shares of Leidos from $205.00 to $185.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Leidos from $230.00 to $205.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 26th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Leidos has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $182.00.

Leidos Trading Down 0.4 %

Leidos stock traded down $0.66 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $152.50. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,044,911 shares, compared to its average volume of 951,466. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $170.92 and a 200-day moving average price of $157.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 1.23 and a quick ratio of 1.15. Leidos has a 12 month low of $105.52 and a 12 month high of $202.90. The stock has a market cap of $20.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 0.64.

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 29th. The aerospace company reported $2.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.96 by $0.97. Leidos had a return on equity of 30.31% and a net margin of 7.37%. The company had revenue of $4.19 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.06 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.03 EPS. Leidos's revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year.

Leidos Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Monday, December 16th will be given a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 16th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.05%. This is a boost from Leidos's previous quarterly dividend of $0.38. Leidos's payout ratio is currently 18.22%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Surya N. Mohapatra sold 2,748 shares of Leidos stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $194.97, for a total transaction of $535,777.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 20,001 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,899,594.97. This trade represents a 12.08 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Noel B. Geer acquired 2,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 20th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $161.13 per share, for a total transaction of $322,260.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 2,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $322,260. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.96% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Leidos

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. State Street Corp grew its position in Leidos by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 5,800,357 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $945,458,000 after purchasing an additional 56,066 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Leidos by 1.3% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,365,903 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $546,912,000 after buying an additional 42,358 shares during the last quarter. FMR LLC increased its position in shares of Leidos by 27.8% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 2,405,726 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $392,133,000 after acquiring an additional 522,764 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its holdings in Leidos by 2.5% in the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 2,153,420 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $351,007,000 after acquiring an additional 53,307 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Millennium Management LLC lifted its position in Leidos by 156.5% in the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,133,508 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $165,356,000 after acquiring an additional 691,575 shares in the last quarter. 76.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Leidos

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.