Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) Shares Gap Up Following Better-Than-Expected Earnings

Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS)’s share price gapped up before the market opened on Tuesday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The stock had previously closed at $142.77, but opened at $147.51. Leidos shares last traded at $137.70, with a volume of 352,022 shares.

The aerospace company reported $2.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.24 by $0.13. Leidos had a return on equity of 30.31% and a net margin of 7.37%.

Leidos Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th will be given a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.17%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. Leidos’s dividend payout ratio is currently 18.22%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Robert W. Baird upped 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 Leidos in a research report on Friday, February 7th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $185.00 price target on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on Leidos from $145.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. UBS Group dropped their price target on Leidos from $162.00 to $156.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Citigroup upped their price objective on Leidos from $194.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Leidos currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $176.27.

Insider Transactions at Leidos

In other Leidos news, Director Noel B. Geer purchased 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 20th. The stock was bought at an average price of $161.13 per share, with a total value of $322,260.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 2,000 shares in the company, valued at $322,260. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.96% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Rakuten Securities Inc. boosted its stake in Leidos by 1,460.0% during the third quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 156 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 146 shares in the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in Leidos during the third quarter valued at about $29,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Leidos during the third quarter valued at $30,000. Duncker Streett & Co. Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Leidos during the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Berbice Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Leidos during the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Institutional investors own 76.12% of the company’s stock.

Leidos Stock Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $18.26 billion, a PE ratio of 15.58, a P/E/G ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 0.66. 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 firm has a fifty day moving average price of $148.78 and a 200 day moving average price of $157.63.

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.