Wells Fargo & Company Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) Stock

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) had its price target boosted by Wells Fargo & Company from $183.00 to $230.00 in a research note published on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an overweight rating on the aerospace company’s stock.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on LDOS. Citigroup upped their price objective on Leidos from $169.00 to $194.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. Barclays upped their price objective on Leidos from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, August 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on Leidos from $205.00 to $228.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. TD Cowen increased their price target on Leidos from $155.00 to $166.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on Leidos from $145.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $187.77.

Leidos Stock Performance

Shares of LDOS opened at $182.97 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $163.05 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $151.19. The stock has a market cap of $24.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.84, a PEG ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 0.68. Leidos has a 52 week low of $100.17 and a 52 week high of $188.36.

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 29th. The aerospace company reported $2.93 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.96 by $0.97. The business had revenue of $4.19 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.06 billion. Leidos had a return on equity of 30.31% and a net margin of 7.37%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.03 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Leidos will post 10.07 EPS for the current year.

Leidos Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 16th will be paid a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.87%. This is a positive change from Leidos’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.38. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 13th. Leidos’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 17.31%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Robert C. Kovarik, Jr. sold 1,047 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $184.94, for a total value of $193,632.18. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 6,408 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,185,095.52. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other news, Director Gary Stephen May sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $144.02, for a total value of $144,020.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 11,264 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,622,241.28. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Robert C. Kovarik, Jr. sold 1,047 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $184.94, for a total value of $193,632.18. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 6,408 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,185,095.52. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.96% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Leidos

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of LDOS. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Leidos in the third quarter worth approximately $30,000. 1832 Asset Management L.P. bought a new position in shares of Leidos during the 2nd quarter worth $34,000. Blue Trust Inc. increased its stake in shares of Leidos by 251.3% during the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 281 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 201 shares during the period. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV raised its holdings in shares of Leidos by 122.5% in the second quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 307 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 169 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kathleen S. Wright Associates Inc. purchased a new stake in Leidos in the third quarter worth about $46,000. 76.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.