General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) Downgraded by Wall Street Zen to Hold

General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) was downgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a note issued to investors on Saturday.

Several other analysts have also issued reports on the company. TD Cowen upped their target price on General Dynamics from $370.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Susquehanna reaffirmed a “positive” rating and issued a $420.00 price objective on shares of General Dynamics in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. UBS Group set a $393.00 target price on shares of General Dynamics in a report on Thursday. Argus boosted their price target on shares of General Dynamics from $345.00 to $380.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 19th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of General Dynamics from $408.00 to $410.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $372.32.

General Dynamics Stock Up 0.3%

GD opened at $351.00 on Friday. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $347.77 and its 200 day simple moving average is $334.74. General Dynamics has a 52 week low of $239.20 and a 52 week high of $369.70. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The stock has a market cap of $94.81 billion, a PE ratio of 22.72, a P/E/G ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 0.41.

General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The aerospace company reported $4.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.11 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $14.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.77 billion. General Dynamics had a return on equity of 17.57% and a net margin of 8.01%.The company’s revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $4.15 earnings per share. General Dynamics has set its FY 2026 guidance at 16.100-16.200 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that General Dynamics will post 14.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at General Dynamics

In other news, VP David Paddock sold 20,360 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $334.92, for a total transaction of $6,818,971.20. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 36,644 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,272,808.48. This represents a 35.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.50% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On General Dynamics

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Joule Financial LLC increased its stake in shares of General Dynamics by 4.3% during the fourth quarter. Joule Financial LLC now owns 705 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $237,000 after buying an additional 29 shares during the period. Brown Miller Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in General Dynamics by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Brown Miller Wealth Management LLC now owns 8,889 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $2,993,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares in the last quarter. Crowley Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in General Dynamics by 1.4% during the 3rd quarter. Crowley Wealth Management Inc. now owns 2,249 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $767,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the period. First Financial Bankshares Inc raised its holdings in General Dynamics by 2.6% in the 3rd quarter. First Financial Bankshares Inc now owns 1,196 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $408,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Steph & Co. lifted its position in shares of General Dynamics by 65.2% in the 4th quarter. Steph & Co. now owns 76 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.14% of the company’s stock.

General Dynamics News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting General Dynamics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Revenue and backlog beat: Q4 revenue came in at $14.38B (+7.8% YoY) and business segments (notably shipbuilding) reported strength and rising backlog — a concrete demand signal supporting future revenue. General Dynamics Can Still Shoot Higher From Here
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: Morgan Stanley raised its price target to $410 (overweight) and Bank of America reaffirmed a $400 buy target — analyst optimism and higher targets can underpin further upside. MarketScreener: Morgan Stanley adjusts price target
• Neutral Sentiment: Canada says Gulfstream certification “underway”: Ottawa says the certification process for certain Gulfstream jets is in progress — this reduces some near‑term trade friction but leaves timing uncertainty. Canada says jet certification underway
• Neutral Sentiment: Street view remains constructive: analysts’ consensus and median price targets remain above the stock; many firms still rate GD a buy/overweight, supporting investor confidence even after mixed results. GD receives average recommendation of Moderate Buy
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance miss and EPS softness: GD set FY‑2026 EPS guidance at $16.10–16.20, below street expectations (~$17.26); Q4 diluted EPS was $4.17, slightly under consensus — a near-term growth and margin concern. Annual profit forecast disappoints
• Negative Sentiment: Cash flow and spending profile: operating cash from operations fell ~28% YoY to ~$1.56B while capex jumped (~$609M), pressuring free cash flow in the near term despite higher cash balances. Quiver Quant: Q4 2025 earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Political/regulatory risk: President Trump signaled tariffs/decertification threats on Canadian-made planes until certain Gulfstream approvals occur — a potential earnings/headwind risk for GD’s Gulfstream unit if escalation continues. Trump says US to decertify, levy tariff on Canadian planes
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sales: multiple insider sell transactions over the past six months (no purchases) may concern some investors about insider sentiment/timing. Quiver Quant: insider trading breakdown

General Dynamics Company Profile

General Dynamics is a major American aerospace and defense contractor that designs, manufactures and supports a broad range of products and services for government and commercial customers worldwide. Headquartered in the United States (Reston, Virginia), the company supplies platforms and systems used by armed forces, civil authorities and private operators across multiple domains including air, land, sea and cyber.

Its principal activities span several operating businesses: a business aviation unit that develops and supports Gulfstream business jets; land systems that produce armored combat vehicles and related logistics and sustainment services; marine systems that design and construct submarines and surface ships for navies; and mission systems and information technology operations that provide command-and-control, communications, cybersecurity and systems-integration services.