General Dynamics Corporation $GD Stake Trimmed by Aristotle Capital Management LLC

Aristotle Capital Management LLC cut its position in shares of General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD) by 3.3% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 2,446,709 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after selling 84,573 shares during the period. General Dynamics comprises 1.8% of Aristotle Capital Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 23rd largest position. Aristotle Capital Management LLC’s holdings in General Dynamics were worth $839,782,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in General Dynamics by 16.9% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 2,885 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $760,000 after purchasing an additional 417 shares during the period. Acadian Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of General Dynamics by 140.2% in the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 3,445 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $938,000 after buying an additional 2,011 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of General Dynamics during the second quarter valued at $240,000. Flow Traders U.S. LLC acquired a new position in General Dynamics during the second quarter valued at $352,000. Finally, Jump Financial LLC purchased a new stake in General Dynamics in the 2nd quarter worth about $1,284,000. 86.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on GD shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded General Dynamics from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. UBS Group raised shares of General Dynamics from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of General Dynamics from $400.00 to $415.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of General Dynamics from $385.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price target on shares of General Dynamics from $387.00 to $377.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $391.15.

General Dynamics Stock Performance

GD opened at $386.51 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $356.19 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $351.77. The firm has a market capitalization of $104.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.34. General Dynamics Corporation has a 12-month low of $306.03 and a 12-month high of $388.12.

General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The aerospace company reported $4.10 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.67 by $0.43. The company had revenue of $13.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.70 billion. General Dynamics had a return on equity of 17.41% and a net margin of 8.07%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $3.66 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that General Dynamics Corporation will post 16.66 earnings per share for the current year.

General Dynamics Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 2nd will be paid a dividend of $1.59 per share. This represents a $6.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 2nd. General Dynamics’s payout ratio is currently 40.03%.

Insider Activity at General Dynamics

In other news, Director Mark Malcolm sold 5,480 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $365.00, for a total transaction of $2,000,200.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 10,643 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,884,695. The trade was a 33.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Mark Lagrand Burns sold 36,480 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $345.29, for a total value of $12,596,179.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 38,975 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $13,457,677.75. The trade was a 48.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 78,190 shares of company stock valued at $27,041,022. Insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about General Dynamics

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

• Positive Sentiment: GD has hit a 52-week high, reflecting strong momentum and investor confidence in the defense contractor’s outlook. General Dynamics Corporation (GD) Hit a 52 Week High, Can the Run Continue?
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are focusing on GD’s upcoming Q2 results, with attention on a record backlog and improving defense operations, which could support the stock if management delivers strong numbers and positive commentary on submarines and Gulfstream. General Dynamics to Release Q2 Earnings: Here’s What to Expect
• Positive Sentiment: Recent investor sentiment has also been helped by broader strength in defense stocks, with peers posting solid results and raising guidance, which has lifted expectations for GD ahead of its July 29 earnings release. Why General Dynamics (GD) Stock Is Up Today
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street is also watching GD’s Q2 estimates and key operating metrics closely, suggesting the market may be waiting for confirmation that recent strength is sustainable rather than purely speculative. General Dynamics (GD) Q2 Earnings on the Horizon: Analysts’ Insights on Key Performance Measures
• Neutral Sentiment: One article compared GD’s value profile with GE Aerospace, reinforcing that investors still see GD as a large-cap defense name with valuation appeal, but not necessarily a fresh catalyst by itself. GD vs. GE: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

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.