Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) Given New $230.00 Price Target at Wells Fargo & Company

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

A number of other analysts have also commented on LDOS. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on Leidos from $180.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday. Bank of America lifted their target price on Leidos from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Leidos from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, August 5th. 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. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on shares of Leidos from $205.00 to $228.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Two equities 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Leidos currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $187.77.

Leidos Stock Performance

NYSE LDOS opened at $185.71 on Wednesday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $161.89 and a 200-day moving average price of $150.56. The firm has a market cap of $25.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 58.22, a PEG ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 1.21 and a quick ratio of 1.11. Leidos has a 1 year low of $94.57 and a 1 year high of $188.36.

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) last issued 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. Leidos had a net margin of 2.72% and a return on equity of 28.40%. The business had revenue of $4.19 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.06 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.03 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Leidos will post 8.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Leidos Increases Dividend

The business 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 is Monday, December 16th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.86%. This is an increase from Leidos’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.38. Leidos’s dividend payout ratio is currently 47.65%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Gary Stephen May sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $144.02, for a total transaction of $144,020.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 11,264 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,622,241.28. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.96% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Leidos in the third quarter worth $30,000. 1832 Asset Management L.P. bought a new position in Leidos in the 2nd quarter worth about $34,000. Blue Trust Inc. raised its holdings 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. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV raised its holdings in shares of Leidos by 122.5% in the 2nd 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. bought a new stake in shares of Leidos during the 3rd quarter valued at about $46,000. 76.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.