Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) Shares Up 0.6% – What’s Next?

Lockheed Martin Co. (NYSE:LMT)’s stock price rose 0.6% on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $450.20 and last traded at $449.46. Approximately 232,097 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 86% from the average daily volume of 1,641,420 shares. The stock had previously closed at $446.71.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently issued reports on LMT. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of Lockheed Martin from $565.00 to $515.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating on shares of Lockheed Martin in a report on Monday, March 10th. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of Lockheed Martin from $555.00 to $525.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut shares of Lockheed Martin from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $611.00 to $523.00 in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. Finally, Bank of America lowered Lockheed Martin from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $685.00 to $485.00 in a research note on Monday, March 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Lockheed Martin has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $539.53.

Lockheed Martin Trading Up 0.4 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.10, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a current ratio of 1.13. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $455.61 and a 200-day moving average of $509.05. The firm has a market capitalization of $105.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.43.

Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, January 28th. The aerospace company reported $7.67 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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, equities research analysts anticipate that Lockheed Martin Co. will post 27.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lockheed Martin Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd were issued a dividend of $3.30 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $13.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.94%. Lockheed Martin’s dividend payout ratio is presently 59.30%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lockheed Martin

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

Lockheed Martin Company Profile

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.