Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) Price Target Lowered to $197.00 at Wells Fargo & Company

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) had its price objective trimmed by Wells Fargo & Company from $199.00 to $197.00 in a report published on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an overweight rating on the aerospace company’s stock.

Several other analysts have also weighed in on the company. Cantor Fitzgerald initiated coverage on Leidos in a report on Friday, February 7th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $185.00 target price on the stock. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Leidos from $165.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, November 4th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on shares of Leidos from $145.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Citigroup upped their target price on Leidos from $194.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Finally, TD Cowen cut Leidos from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lowered their target price for the company from $200.00 to $165.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Leidos presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $176.27.

Leidos Stock Down 0.6 %

Shares of NYSE LDOS opened at $136.82 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 0.66. Leidos has a 52 week low of $118.40 and a 52 week high of $202.90. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $148.78 and a 200 day moving average price of $157.63. 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 results on Tuesday, February 11th. The aerospace company reported $2.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.24 by $0.13. Leidos had a net margin of 7.37% and a return on equity of 30.31%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Leidos will post 10.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Leidos Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th will be given a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.17%. Leidos’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 18.22%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Leidos

In related news, Director Noel B. Geer purchased 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 completion of the purchase, 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 acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.96% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Leidos

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Rakuten Securities Inc. grew its position 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 acquiring an additional 146 shares during the period. Duncker Streett & Co. Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Leidos in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new position in shares of Leidos in the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Berbice Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Leidos during the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Northwest Investment Counselors LLC acquired a new stake in Leidos during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. 76.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Leidos Company 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.