Roffman Miller Associates Inc. PA Raises Stock Position in General Dynamics Co. (NYSE:GD)

Roffman Miller Associates Inc. PA increased its stake in General Dynamics Co. (NYSE:GD) by 10.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 68,910 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,294 shares during the quarter. Roffman Miller Associates Inc. PA’s holdings in General Dynamics were worth $18,157,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Empowered Funds LLC raised its position in General Dynamics by 15.3% in the fourth quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 9,689 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $2,553,000 after acquiring an additional 1,283 shares during the period. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in General Dynamics by 67.6% during the third quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 8,546 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $2,583,000 after acquiring an additional 3,448 shares in the last quarter. Olstein Capital Management L.P. grew its stake in General Dynamics by 36.4% during the third quarter. Olstein Capital Management L.P. now owns 15,000 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $4,533,000 after acquiring an additional 4,000 shares in the last quarter. Kentucky Trust Co purchased a new position in shares of General Dynamics in the 4th quarter worth $607,000. Finally, Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. grew its stake in shares of General Dynamics by 10.0% in the 3rd quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 37,074 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $11,204,000 after buying an additional 3,363 shares in the last quarter. 86.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

General Dynamics Price Performance

Shares of NYSE GD opened at $243.02 on Monday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $259.68 and a 200-day simple moving average of $282.49. The stock has a market capitalization of $65.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 1.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. General Dynamics Co. has a 52 week low of $239.87 and a 52 week high of $316.90.

General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The aerospace company reported $4.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.29 by ($0.14). General Dynamics had a net margin of 7.93% and a return on equity of 17.10%. On average, equities analysts predict that General Dynamics Co. will post 14.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

General Dynamics announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, December 4th that permits the company to repurchase 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the aerospace company to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

General Dynamics Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 17th were paid a dividend of $1.42 per share. This represents a $5.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.34%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 17th. General Dynamics’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 41.64%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Laura J. Schumacher sold 1,796 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $255.68, for a total value of $459,201.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 11,175 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,857,224. This trade represents a 13.85 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.52% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. BTIG Research cut shares of General Dynamics from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Susquehanna reduced their price target on shares of General Dynamics from $315.00 to $300.00 and set a “positive” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Wolfe Research lowered shares of General Dynamics from an “outperform” rating to a “peer perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their target price on shares of General Dynamics from $245.00 to $241.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Finally, Robert W. Baird reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $283.00 price objective (down from $345.00) on shares of General Dynamics in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have assigned a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, General Dynamics currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $298.59.

General Dynamics Company Profile

General Dynamics Corporation operates as an aerospace and defense company worldwide. It operates through four segments: Aerospace, Marine Systems, Combat Systems, and Technologies. The Aerospace segment produces and sells business jets; and offers aircraft maintenance and repair, management, aircraft-on-ground support and completion, charter, staffing, and fixed-base operator services.