Werlinich Asset Management LLC Boosts Stock Holdings in General Dynamics Co. (NYSE:GD)

Werlinich Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in General Dynamics Co. (NYSE:GD) by 1.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 5,660 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after acquiring an additional 80 shares during the quarter. Werlinich Asset Management LLC’s holdings in General Dynamics were worth $1,543,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Empowered Funds LLC grew its stake in General Dynamics by 15.3% in the 4th quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 9,689 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $2,553,000 after acquiring an additional 1,283 shares during the period. Kentucky Trust Co acquired a new stake in General Dynamics in the 4th quarter valued at $607,000. Hickory Point Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in General Dynamics in the 4th quarter valued at $692,000. Atlas Legacy Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in General Dynamics in the 4th quarter valued at $550,000. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its stake in General Dynamics by 45.4% in the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 80,565 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $21,228,000 after acquiring an additional 25,144 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.14% of the company’s stock.

General Dynamics Trading Up 0.7%

Shares of GD stock opened at $276.43 on Monday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $272.69 and its 200-day moving average price is $266.53. The company has a current ratio of 1.37, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. The stock has a market cap of $74.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.27, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 0.46. General Dynamics Co. has a twelve month low of $239.20 and a twelve month high of $316.90.

General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The aerospace company reported $3.66 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.43 by $0.23. General Dynamics had a net margin of 7.93% and a return on equity of 17.10%. The company had revenue of $12.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $11.92 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.88 earnings per share. General Dynamics’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that General Dynamics Co. will post 14.83 earnings per share for the current year.

General Dynamics Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 8th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 3rd will be given a $1.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 3rd. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.17%. General Dynamics’s payout ratio is currently 41.61%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently issued reports on GD. Argus set a $295.00 price target on shares of General Dynamics in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of General Dynamics in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of General Dynamics from $305.00 to $300.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of General Dynamics from $335.00 to $330.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 10th. Finally, Susquehanna lifted their target price on shares of General Dynamics from $300.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have given a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $293.00.

About General Dynamics

General Dynamics Corporation operates as an aerospace and defense company worldwide. It operates through four segments: Aerospace, Marine Systems, Combat Systems, and Technologies. The Aerospace segment produces and sells business jets; and offers aircraft maintenance and repair, management, aircraft-on-ground support and completion, charter, staffing, and fixed-base operator services.