Eagle Asset Management Inc. Has $3.64 Million Stock Position in Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS)

Eagle Asset Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) by 21.8% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 22,302 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,991 shares during the quarter. Eagle Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Leidos were worth $3,635,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Rakuten Securities Inc. increased its position in shares of Leidos by 1,460.0% during the third quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 156 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 146 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Leidos during the 3rd quarter worth about $29,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC bought a new position in shares of Leidos in the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. 1832 Asset Management L.P. acquired a new position in shares of Leidos in the 2nd quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. boosted its position in shares of Leidos by 251.3% during the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 281 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 201 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.12% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

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

Leidos Stock Up 0.5 %

LDOS stock opened at $165.51 on Monday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $170.36 and its 200-day moving average is $156.32. Leidos Holdings, Inc. has a twelve month low of $105.52 and a twelve month high of $202.90. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.08 billion, a PE ratio of 18.85, a P/E/G ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87.

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 29th. The aerospace company reported $2.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.96 by $0.97. The firm had revenue of $4.19 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.06 billion. Leidos had a net margin of 7.37% and a return on equity of 30.31%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.03 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Leidos Holdings, Inc. will post 10.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Leidos Increases Dividend

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on LDOS shares. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on Leidos from $180.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. 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 report on Wednesday, October 30th. Truist Financial reduced their price target on shares of Leidos from $205.00 to $185.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday. Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of Leidos from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Finally, Barclays raised their target price on Leidos from $165.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, November 4th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $189.69.

Leidos Profile

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.