Elbit Systems (NASDAQ:ESLT) Shares Gap Down – Here’s Why

Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ:ESLT) shares gapped down before the market opened on Tuesday . The stock had previously closed at $846.04, but opened at $795.00. Elbit Systems shares last traded at $790.6570, with a volume of 43,551 shares trading hands.

Elbit Systems News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Elbit Systems this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Elbit reported non-GAAP earnings of $4.14 per share, above the $3.69 consensus estimate and up from $3.23 a year earlier. Revenue reached approximately $2.3 billion, also exceeding the $2.25 billion estimate. Elbit Systems Beats Q2 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Order backlog reached a record—or near-record—$32.0 billion, supporting visibility for future revenue and reinforcing demand for the company’s defense technologies. GAAP net income was $173.6 million, while non-GAAP net income totaled $199.1 million. Elbit Systems Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: The earnings and revenue beats indicate stronger-than-expected quarterly execution, with profit growth likely supported by ongoing defense demand. Elbit Systems Q2 Profit, Revenue Jump
• Neutral Sentiment: GAAP EPS was $3.61, below the $4.14 non-GAAP figure widely cited in earnings coverage, highlighting the effect of adjustments investors may examine when assessing earnings quality. Elbit Systems Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Negative Sentiment: Investors focused on a decline in aerospace sales and increased research-and-development spending, which could pressure near-term margins despite the overall earnings beat. Elbit Systems Shares Fall as Aerospace Sales Drop and R&D Spending Climbs
• Negative Sentiment: At roughly 63 times earnings, ESLT’s elevated valuation leaves less room for operational disappointments; investors may be taking profits or demanding clearer margin improvement even with the record backlog.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently commented on ESLT. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on Elbit Systems from $950.00 to $880.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Morgan Stanley set a $845.00 price objective on Elbit Systems in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Elbit Systems from $930.00 to $950.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded Elbit Systems from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Elbit Systems presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $803.75.

Elbit Systems Stock Performance

The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $796.99 and its 200 day simple moving average is $808.39. The firm has a market cap of $34.28 billion, a PE ratio of 62.49, a PEG ratio of 3.65 and a beta of 0.17. The company has a current ratio of 1.41, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06.

Elbit Systems (NASDAQ:ESLT) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 11th. The aerospace company reported $4.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.69 by $0.45. The firm had revenue of $2.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.25 billion. Elbit Systems had a return on equity of 16.15% and a net margin of 7.14%. On average, research analysts forecast that Elbit Systems Ltd. will post 15.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Elbit Systems Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 6th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 23rd were issued a dividend of $1.00 per share. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 23rd. Elbit Systems’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 26.96%.

Institutional Trading of Elbit Systems

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its position in shares of Elbit Systems by 98.9% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 2,464 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $946,000 after acquiring an additional 1,225 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Elbit Systems during the 1st quarter worth $353,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Elbit Systems by 3,461.1% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 641 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $246,000 after buying an additional 623 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Elbit Systems by 33.7% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 135,106 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $51,837,000 after acquiring an additional 34,049 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its holdings in Elbit Systems by 7.8% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 16,521 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $6,339,000 after acquiring an additional 1,191 shares in the last quarter. 17.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Elbit Systems Company Profile

Elbit Systems Ltd. is an Israel-based defense electronics company that designs, develops and supplies a broad range of systems for military, homeland security and commercial aviation customers. The company focuses on integrated, platform-level solutions that combine sensors, communications, command-and-control software and weapons integration to support intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), force protection and mission management.

Its product and service portfolio spans unmanned aircraft systems, electro-optic and signal intelligence systems, electronic warfare and communications equipment, avionics and mission systems for military and commercial aircraft, and land and naval systems.