Brokerages Set Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) Target Price at $149.83

Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) has been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the twelve analysts that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $160.17.

A number of research firms recently commented on LDOS. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on shares of Leidos from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday. TD Cowen increased their target price on shares of Leidos from $155.00 to $166.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Truist Financial reissued a “buy” rating and set a $165.00 target price (up previously from $150.00) on shares of Leidos in a research report on Wednesday, May 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Leidos from $165.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Leidos from $165.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday.

Insider Transactions at Leidos

In other news, insider Roy E. Stevens sold 875 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.67, for a total value of $131,836.25. Following the sale, the insider now owns 44,149 shares in the company, valued at $6,651,929.83. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.96% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Leidos

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LDOS. Farmers & Merchants Trust Co of Chambersburg PA purchased a new position in Leidos in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Lindbrook Capital LLC increased its holdings in Leidos by 209.0% in the fourth quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 275 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 186 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in Leidos by 251.3% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 281 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 201 shares in the last quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV increased its holdings in Leidos by 122.5% in the second quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 307 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 169 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. purchased a new position in Leidos in the fourth quarter valued at $35,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.12% of the company’s stock.

Leidos Price Performance

Shares of LDOS opened at $145.39 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $147.13 and a 200-day moving average price of $134.62. Leidos has a fifty-two week low of $89.22 and a fifty-two week high of $155.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $19.59 billion, a PE ratio of 62.67, a PEG ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a current ratio of 1.21.

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The aerospace company reported $2.63 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.27 by $0.36. Leidos had a net margin of 2.72% and a return on equity of 28.40%. The company had revenue of $4.13 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.06 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.80 earnings per share. Leidos’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that Leidos will post 8.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Leidos Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 13th will be paid a $0.38 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 13th. This represents a $1.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.05%. Leidos’s payout ratio is currently 65.52%.

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.