Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) Director Gary Stephen May Sells 2,128 Shares of Stock

Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) Director Gary Stephen May sold 2,128 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.24, for a total value of $279,278.72. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 11,264 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,478,287.36. This represents a 15.89 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.

Leidos Stock Up 0.1 %

LDOS opened at $131.47 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $17.24 billion, a PE ratio of 14.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 1.21 and a quick ratio of 1.13. Leidos Holdings, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $122.76 and a fifty-two week high of $202.90. The business has a 50-day moving average of $145.79 and a 200-day moving average of $157.13.

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The aerospace company reported $2.37 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.24 by $0.13. Leidos had a net margin of 7.53% and a return on equity of 30.93%. Equities research analysts forecast that Leidos Holdings, Inc. will post 10.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Leidos Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.22%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. Leidos’s dividend payout ratio is 17.32%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on LDOS shares. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on Leidos from $180.00 to $218.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Cantor Fitzgerald assumed coverage on shares of Leidos in a report on Friday, February 7th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $185.00 target price for the company. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Leidos from $199.00 to $197.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Leidos from $194.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective 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. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $176.27.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Leidos

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Rakuten Securities Inc. raised its position in shares of Leidos by 1,460.0% in the third quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 156 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 146 shares during the period. Marshall & Sterling Wealth Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Leidos in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Duncker Streett & Co. Inc. acquired a new position in Leidos during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new stake in Leidos during the third quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Berbice Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Leidos in the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. 76.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.