Loudon Investment Management LLC Has $806,000 Stake in General Dynamics Co. (NYSE:GD)

Loudon Investment Management LLC reduced its position in General Dynamics Co. (NYSE:GD) by 6.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,058 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after selling 200 shares during the period. Loudon Investment Management LLC’s holdings in General Dynamics were worth $806,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in General Dynamics during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of General Dynamics in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of General Dynamics in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Sugar Maple Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in General Dynamics in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Heck Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in General Dynamics in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. 86.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

General Dynamics Price Performance

GD opened at $265.56 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $258.42 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $278.16. 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 company has a market cap of $71.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 0.59. General Dynamics Co. has a 12-month low of $239.87 and a 12-month high of $316.90.

General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The aerospace company reported $4.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.29 by ($0.14). General Dynamics had a return on equity of 17.10% and a net margin of 7.93%. Research analysts predict that General Dynamics Co. will post 14.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

General Dynamics announced that its board has approved a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, December 4th that allows the company to buyback 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the aerospace company to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

General Dynamics Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 9th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 11th will be issued a dividend of $1.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 11th. This is an increase from General Dynamics’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.42. This represents a $6.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.26%. General Dynamics’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 43.99%.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Marguerite Amy Gilliland sold 27,562 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $272.11, for a total transaction of $7,499,895.82. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 45,192 shares in the company, valued at $12,297,195.12. This trade represents a 37.88 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Laura J. Schumacher sold 1,796 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $255.68, for a total value of $459,201.28. Following the transaction, the director now owns 11,175 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,857,224. The trade was a 13.85 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 1.52% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on GD shares. Susquehanna decreased their price target on General Dynamics from $315.00 to $300.00 and set a “positive” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. BTIG Research cut shares of General Dynamics from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Royal Bank of Canada cut their target price on General Dynamics from $290.00 to $280.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Citigroup cut their target price on General Dynamics from $360.00 to $335.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Finally, Robert W. Baird reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $283.00 price objective (down previously from $345.00) on shares of General Dynamics in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have issued a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, General Dynamics currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $297.71.

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.