Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) Director Sells $279,278.72 in Stock

Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) Director Gary Stephen May sold 2,128 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.24, for a total transaction of $279,278.72. Following the transaction, the director now owns 11,264 shares in the company, valued at $1,478,287.36. This represents a 15.89 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

Leidos Stock Performance

Leidos stock opened at $126.66 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 1.21. Leidos Holdings, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $123.22 and a fifty-two week high of $202.90. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $144.89 and its 200-day moving average price is $156.76. The stock has a market cap of $16.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.66.

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The aerospace company reported $2.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.24 by $0.13. Leidos had a net margin of 7.53% and a return on equity of 30.93%. On average, equities research analysts expect that Leidos Holdings, Inc. will post 10.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Leidos Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th will be given a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.26%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. Leidos’s dividend payout ratio is currently 17.32%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on LDOS shares. UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of Leidos from $162.00 to $156.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Leidos from $199.00 to $197.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Leidos from $194.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Leidos from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Truist Financial lowered their target price on shares of Leidos from $185.00 to $165.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Leidos presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $176.27.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Leidos

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Ballentine Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Leidos by 3.5% during the third quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 1,822 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $297,000 after buying an additional 62 shares during the period. Asahi Life Asset Management CO. LTD. grew its holdings in Leidos by 3.2% in the third quarter. Asahi Life Asset Management CO. LTD. now owns 2,280 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $372,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the period. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Leidos by 4.8% during the fourth quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,680 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $242,000 after purchasing an additional 77 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Leidos by 20.4% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 454 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $65,000 after purchasing an additional 77 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its position in shares of Leidos by 3.2% in the 4th quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 2,738 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $394,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.12% of the company’s stock.

About Leidos

Leidos Holdings, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides services and solutions in the defense, intelligence, civil, and health markets in the United States and internationally. The company operates through Defense Solutions, Civil, and Health segments. The Defense Solutions segment offers national security solutions and systems for air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace for the U.S.