Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) Sets New 1-Year High Following Dividend Announcement

Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Monday following a dividend announcement from the company. The stock traded as high as $131.78 and last traded at $131.14, with a volume of 56564 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $130.36.

The newly announced dividend which will be paid on Friday, June 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 14th will be paid a dividend of $0.38 per share. This represents a $1.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.15%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 14th. Leidos’s payout ratio is 107.04%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have issued reports on LDOS. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on shares of Leidos from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 14th. TheStreet upgraded Leidos from a “c” rating to a “b” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 13th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Leidos from $137.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, April 4th. Truist Financial boosted their target price on Leidos from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 9th. Finally, Robert W. Baird increased their price target on Leidos from $133.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 14th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $132.42.

Leidos Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.34 and a quick ratio of 1.24. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $127.74 and a 200-day simple moving average of $114.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $17.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 92.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.70.

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 13th. The aerospace company reported $1.99 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.74 by $0.25. The business had revenue of $3.98 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.81 billion. Leidos had a return on equity of 22.92% and a net margin of 1.29%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.83 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Leidos Holdings, Inc. will post 7.77 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Leidos

In related news, Director David G. Fubini sold 7,874 shares of Leidos stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.89, for a total value of $1,007,005.86. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 14,696 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,879,471.44. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, Director David G. Fubini sold 7,874 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.89, for a total transaction of $1,007,005.86. Following the sale, the director now owns 14,696 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,879,471.44. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Gary Stephen May sold 2,745 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.49, for a total value of $341,725.05. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 11,352 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,413,210.48. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.96% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Leidos

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Farmers & Merchants Trust Co of Chambersburg PA purchased a new position in shares of Leidos during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Lindbrook Capital LLC boosted its stake in Leidos by 209.0% during the fourth quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 275 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 186 shares during the period. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. purchased a new position in Leidos during the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. bought a new position in Leidos in the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Tidemark LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Leidos in the 4th quarter valued at about $41,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.12% of the company’s stock.

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.