Advisory Alpha LLC Buys 115 Shares of Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS)

Advisory Alpha LLC increased its stake in shares of Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) by 7.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,583 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after acquiring an additional 115 shares during the quarter. Advisory Alpha LLC’s holdings in Leidos were worth $228,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Rakuten Securities Inc. increased its position in Leidos by 1,460.0% during the third quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 156 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 146 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new stake in Leidos in the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC bought a new stake in Leidos in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. 1832 Asset Management L.P. bought a new stake in Leidos in the 2nd quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Kathleen S. Wright Associates Inc. bought a new stake in Leidos in the 3rd quarter valued at $46,000. Institutional investors own 76.12% of the company’s stock.

Leidos Stock Down 7.6 %

Shares of NYSE LDOS opened at $148.81 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $154.62 and its 200 day simple moving average is $158.29. The company has a market cap of $19.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. Leidos Holdings, Inc. has a 12-month low of $108.95 and a 12-month high of $202.90.

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 29th. The aerospace company reported $2.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.96 by $0.97. Leidos had a net margin of 7.37% and a return on equity of 30.31%. The business had revenue of $4.19 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.06 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.03 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that Leidos Holdings, Inc. will post 10.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on LDOS shares. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of Leidos from $205.00 to $199.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on shares of Leidos from $180.00 to $218.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on shares of Leidos from $145.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered shares of Leidos from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their price target for the company from $228.00 to $153.00 in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, UBS Group began coverage on shares of Leidos in a research note on Monday, December 2nd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $182.00 target price on the stock. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $179.07.

Insider Buying and Selling at Leidos

In other Leidos news, Director Surya N. Mohapatra sold 2,748 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $194.97, for a total transaction of $535,777.56. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 20,001 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,899,594.97. This represents a 12.08 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Noel B. Geer bought 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 20th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $161.13 per share, for a total transaction of $322,260.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 2,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $322,260. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.96% of the company’s stock.

Leidos 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.