Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. Purchases 515 Shares of Lockheed Martin Co. (NYSE:LMT)

Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Lockheed Martin Co. (NYSE:LMT) by 35.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,983 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after acquiring an additional 515 shares during the quarter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc.’s holdings in Lockheed Martin were worth $964,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Virtue Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Lockheed Martin by 112.8% during the 3rd quarter. Virtue Capital Management LLC now owns 2,249 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $1,315,000 after purchasing an additional 1,192 shares during the period. Hilltop Holdings Inc. raised its position in shares of Lockheed Martin by 79.9% during the third quarter. Hilltop Holdings Inc. now owns 12,068 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $7,054,000 after buying an additional 5,361 shares during the last quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund lifted its holdings in shares of Lockheed Martin by 51.7% in the fourth quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund now owns 9,528 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $4,630,000 after buying an additional 3,247 shares in the last quarter. Capital Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Lockheed Martin by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. Capital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 92,131 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $44,770,000 after acquiring an additional 2,011 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Brady Martz Wealth Solutions LLC purchased a new position in Lockheed Martin during the fourth quarter valued at $1,266,000. 74.19% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have commented on LMT. StockNews.com raised shares of Lockheed Martin from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. Susquehanna dropped their price target on Lockheed Martin from $590.00 to $550.00 and set a “positive” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. Citigroup reduced their price objective on Lockheed Martin from $700.00 to $600.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded Lockheed Martin from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lowered their target price for the company from $611.00 to $523.00 in a research report on Thursday, January 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company restated an “equal weight” rating on shares of Lockheed Martin in a research report on Monday, March 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Lockheed Martin presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $544.20.

Lockheed Martin Trading Up 0.6 %

LMT stock opened at $444.88 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.10, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 0.95. The company has a market capitalization of $104.72 billion, a PE ratio of 19.99, a P/E/G ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.43. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $458.36 and its 200 day moving average is $512.16. Lockheed Martin Co. has a 12 month low of $419.70 and a 12 month high of $618.95.

Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 28th. The aerospace company reported $7.67 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.58 by $1.09. Lockheed Martin had a net margin of 7.51% and a return on equity of 101.47%. On average, research analysts anticipate that Lockheed Martin Co. will post 27.15 EPS for the current year.

Lockheed Martin Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be issued a $3.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $13.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.97%. Lockheed Martin’s dividend payout ratio is presently 59.30%.

Insider Activity at Lockheed Martin

In other news, insider Robert M. Lightfoot, Jr. sold 3,213 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $442.42, for a total transaction of $1,421,495.46. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 2,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $884,840. The trade was a 61.63 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Harry Edward Paul III sold 707 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $442.61, for a total value of $312,925.27. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 2,278 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,008,265.58. The trade was a 23.69 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 7,133 shares of company stock valued at $3,155,916 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

About Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin Corporation, a security and aerospace company, engages in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of technology systems, products, and services worldwide. The company operates through Aeronautics, Missiles and Fire Control, Rotary and Mission Systems, and Space segments.