Somerset Trust Co Boosts Holdings in Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS)

Somerset Trust Co boosted its stake in shares of Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) by 4.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 2,534 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the period. Somerset Trust Co’s holdings in Leidos were worth $365,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Rakuten Securities Inc. grew its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 146 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Leidos during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Leidos during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. 1832 Asset Management L.P. acquired a new position in shares of Leidos in the 2nd quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Kathleen S. Wright Associates Inc. purchased a new stake in Leidos during the third quarter worth $46,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.12% of the company’s stock.

Leidos Stock Performance

NYSE:LDOS opened at $155.19 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $20.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.67, a P/E/G ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 0.66. Leidos Holdings, Inc. has a twelve month low of $107.73 and a twelve month high of $202.90. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $157.02 and its 200-day moving average price is $157.94. The company has a current ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87.

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 29th. The aerospace company reported $2.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.96 by $0.97. Leidos had a return on equity of 30.31% and a net margin of 7.37%. The business had revenue of $4.19 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.06 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.03 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Leidos Holdings, Inc. will post 10.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Leidos Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 16th were issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.03%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 16th. This is a positive change from Leidos’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.38. Leidos’s payout ratio is currently 18.22%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have weighed in on LDOS shares. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of Leidos in a report on Monday, December 2nd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $182.00 price objective for the company. TD Cowen cut Leidos from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $200.00 to $165.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded Leidos from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $228.00 to $153.00 in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Leidos from $205.00 to $199.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Robert W. Baird increased their target price on Leidos from $180.00 to $218.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Leidos has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $179.07.

Insider Activity

In other Leidos news, Director Robert C. Kovarik, Jr. sold 1,047 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $184.94, for a total transaction of $193,632.18. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 6,408 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,185,095.52. This trade represents a 14.04 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, 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, for a total transaction of $322,260.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 2,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $322,260. The trade was a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.96% of the company’s stock.

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.