Wedge Capital Management L L P NC Boosts Stock Holdings in Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS)

Wedge Capital Management L L P NC grew its holdings in Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) by 17.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 465,975 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after buying an additional 68,009 shares during the quarter. Leidos makes up about 1.2% of Wedge Capital Management L L P NC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 8th largest holding. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC’s holdings in Leidos were worth $67,128,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Rakuten Securities Inc. boosted its position in Leidos by 1,460.0% during the 3rd quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 156 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 146 shares in the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new stake in shares of Leidos during the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC bought a new position in Leidos in the third quarter worth $30,000. 1832 Asset Management L.P. purchased a new position in Leidos during the second quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Kathleen S. Wright Associates Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Leidos during the 3rd quarter valued at $46,000. 76.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Leidos Price Performance

Shares of Leidos stock opened at $155.19 on Friday. 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 Holdings, Inc. has a 12 month low of $107.73 and a 12 month high of $202.90. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $157.02 and a 200 day moving average of $157.94. The firm has a market cap of $20.71 billion, a PE ratio of 17.67, a PEG ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 0.66.

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, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 the consensus estimate of $4.06 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.03 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Leidos Holdings, Inc. will post 10.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Leidos Increases Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. UBS Group began coverage on shares of Leidos in a report on Monday, December 2nd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $182.00 price objective on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Leidos from $175.00 to $185.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on Leidos from $145.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target 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 price objective on shares of Leidos from $180.00 to $218.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Five 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 data from MarketBeat, Leidos has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $179.07.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

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.