Marks Group Wealth Management Inc Trims Stock Position in Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS)

Marks Group Wealth Management Inc decreased its stake in Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) by 4.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 55,806 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after selling 2,309 shares during the quarter. Marks Group Wealth Management Inc’s holdings in Leidos were worth $8,039,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of LDOS. Rakuten Securities Inc. grew its position in shares of 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 during the period. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in Leidos during the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Berbice Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Leidos in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Leidos in the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Mather Group LLC. raised its stake in shares of Leidos by 143.1% during the 4th quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 265 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 156 shares during the period. 76.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Leidos Trading Down 3.8 %

LDOS opened at $137.37 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 1.23 and a quick ratio of 1.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.65, a PEG ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 0.66. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $149.31 and a 200 day moving average price of $157.71. Leidos Holdings, Inc. has a 12 month low of $113.67 and a 12 month high of $202.90.

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The aerospace company reported $2.37 earnings per share 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%. Sell-side analysts expect that Leidos Holdings, Inc. will post 10.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Leidos Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th will be paid a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.16%. Leidos’s dividend payout ratio is currently 18.22%.

Insider Activity at Leidos

In related news, Director Noel B. Geer purchased 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 20th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $161.13 per share, with a total value of $322,260.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 2,000 shares in the company, valued at $322,260. This represents a ∞ increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.96% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Leidos from $199.00 to $197.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on Leidos from $180.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. TD Cowen cut Leidos from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $200.00 to $165.00 in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Cantor Fitzgerald initiated coverage on Leidos in a report on Friday, February 7th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $185.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, UBS Group started coverage on shares of Leidos in a report on Monday, December 2nd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $182.00 target price for the company. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $179.33.

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.