Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) Shares Down 0.2% – Should You Sell?

Shares of Lockheed Martin Co. (NYSE:LMT) dropped 0.2% on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $516.25 and last traded at $519.37. Approximately 288,124 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 73% from the average daily volume of 1,072,225 shares. The stock had previously closed at $520.34.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LMT has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Melius Research raised shares of Lockheed Martin to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 3rd. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Lockheed Martin from $505.00 to $565.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. StockNews.com lowered Lockheed Martin from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price on Lockheed Martin from $675.00 to $665.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Finally, TD Cowen increased their target price on shares of Lockheed Martin from $560.00 to $610.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Lockheed Martin currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $611.00.

Lockheed Martin Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of $123.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.80, a PEG ratio of 4.32 and a beta of 0.47. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $568.75 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $529.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.12.

Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, October 22nd. The aerospace company reported $6.84 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.50 by $0.34. Lockheed Martin had a return on equity of 101.44% and a net margin of 9.36%. The firm had revenue of $17.10 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.38 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $6.77 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that Lockheed Martin Co. will post 26.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lockheed Martin Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 27th. Investors of record on Monday, December 2nd will be given a $3.30 dividend. This represents a $13.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.54%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 2nd. This is a positive change from Lockheed Martin’s previous quarterly dividend of $3.15. Lockheed Martin’s dividend payout ratio is currently 45.62%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lockheed Martin

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. bought a new position in Lockheed Martin during the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Burkett Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lockheed Martin in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Mattson Financial Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lockheed Martin in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Sachetta LLC boosted its holdings in Lockheed Martin by 50.0% during the second quarter. Sachetta LLC now owns 60 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Stephens Consulting LLC grew its position in Lockheed Martin by 48.9% in the second quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC now owns 67 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 22 shares during the last quarter. 74.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lockheed Martin Company Profile

Lockheed Martin Corporation, a security and aerospace company, engages in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of technology systems, products, and services worldwide. The company operates through Aeronautics, Missiles and Fire Control, Rotary and Mission Systems, and Space segments.