Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) Director Noel B. Geer Acquires 2,000 Shares of Stock

Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) Director Noel B. Geer purchased 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 20th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $161.13 per share, with a total value of $322,260.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 2,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $322,260. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Leidos Stock Up 0.5 %

NYSE LDOS opened at $165.55 on Friday. Leidos Holdings, Inc. has a 12 month low of $105.52 and a 12 month high of $202.90. The company has a market capitalization of $22.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.86, a PEG ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 0.68. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $170.36 and its 200 day simple moving average is $156.15. 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 (NYSE:LDOS) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, October 29th. The aerospace company reported $2.93 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.96 by $0.97. Leidos had a net margin of 7.37% and a return on equity of 30.31%. The business had revenue of $4.19 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.06 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.03 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that Leidos Holdings, Inc. will post 10.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Leidos Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Monday, December 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 16th. This is a positive change from Leidos’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.38. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.97%. Leidos’s dividend payout ratio is currently 17.31%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LDOS has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Leidos from $175.00 to $185.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 2nd. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Leidos from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Leidos from $183.00 to $230.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on shares of Leidos from $180.00 to $218.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Leidos from $145.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $189.69.

Institutional Trading of Leidos

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Rakuten Securities Inc. lifted its stake in Leidos by 1,460.0% during the third quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 156 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 146 shares during the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Leidos in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Leidos in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. 1832 Asset Management L.P. purchased a new stake in shares of Leidos in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. lifted its position in shares of Leidos by 251.3% in the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 281 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 201 shares in the last quarter. 76.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.