General Dynamics Corporation $GD Shares Bought by Van Diest Capital LLC

Van Diest Capital LLC increased its stake in General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD) by 205.5% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 1,934 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after buying an additional 1,301 shares during the quarter. Van Diest Capital LLC’s holdings in General Dynamics were worth $664,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Wealth Alliance LLC increased its stake in General Dynamics by 5.9% during the 1st quarter. Wealth Alliance LLC now owns 2,103 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $722,000 after buying an additional 118 shares during the period. Entropy Technologies LP lifted its stake in shares of General Dynamics by 252.5% in the 1st quarter. Entropy Technologies LP now owns 25,855 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $8,874,000 after acquiring an additional 18,521 shares during the period. Sustainable Insight Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of General Dynamics by 21.0% in the 1st quarter. Sustainable Insight Capital Management LLC now owns 5,720 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $1,963,000 after acquiring an additional 994 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC bought a new position in shares of General Dynamics in the first quarter valued at approximately $10,358,000. Finally, Bollard Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of General Dynamics during the first quarter valued at approximately $47,000. Institutional investors own 86.14% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Mark Lagrand Burns sold 36,480 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $345.29, for a total transaction of $12,596,179.20. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Mark Malcolm sold 5,480 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $365.00, for a total value of $2,000,200.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 10,643 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,884,695. This represents a 33.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 78,190 shares of company stock worth $27,041,022 over the last ninety days. 1.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

General Dynamics Trading Up 1.2%

Shares of NYSE:GD opened at $386.51 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $104.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.32, a PEG ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 0.34. General Dynamics Corporation has a 1-year low of $306.03 and a 1-year high of $388.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a current ratio of 1.38. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $356.19 and a 200 day moving average price of $351.77.

General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The aerospace company reported $4.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.67 by $0.43. General Dynamics had a return on equity of 17.41% and a net margin of 8.07%.The company had revenue of $13.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $12.70 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $3.66 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that General Dynamics Corporation will post 16.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

General Dynamics Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently commented on GD. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on General Dynamics from $400.00 to $440.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Citigroup lowered their price target on General Dynamics from $380.00 to $364.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 18th. BNP Paribas Exane dropped their price objective on General Dynamics from $430.00 to $390.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. UBS Group upgraded General Dynamics from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, June 11th. Finally, DA Davidson decreased their target price on General Dynamics from $384.00 to $375.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, General Dynamics has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $391.15.

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 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.