Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) Shares Up 0.3% – Should You Buy?

Lockheed Martin Co. (NYSE:LMT) shot up 0.3% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $443.00 and last traded at $443.10. 339,307 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 75% from the average session volume of 1,359,769 shares. The stock had previously closed at $441.97.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have issued reports on LMT. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Lockheed Martin from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Lockheed Martin from $540.00 to $535.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Lockheed Martin from $500.00 to $497.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of Lockheed Martin from $527.00 to $508.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on shares of Lockheed Martin from $555.00 to $525.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $555.60.

Lockheed Martin Stock Down 2.7 %

The firm has a market cap of $99.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.01, a PEG ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a quick ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.10. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $477.08 and a 200-day moving average price of $532.86.

Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 28th. The aerospace company reported $7.67 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.58 by $1.09. Lockheed Martin had a net margin of 7.51% and a return on equity of 101.47%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Lockheed Martin Co. will post 27.14 EPS for the current year.

Lockheed Martin Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be issued a $3.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $13.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.12%. Lockheed Martin’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 59.30%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Virtue Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Lockheed Martin by 112.8% in the 3rd quarter. Virtue Capital Management LLC now owns 2,249 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $1,315,000 after purchasing an additional 1,192 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can raised its holdings in Lockheed Martin by 2.1% in the third quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 656,807 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $382,498,000 after buying an additional 13,253 shares during the period. Hilltop Holdings Inc. lifted its position in Lockheed Martin by 79.9% during the third quarter. Hilltop Holdings Inc. now owns 12,068 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $7,054,000 after buying an additional 5,361 shares in the last quarter. Capital Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in Lockheed Martin by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. Capital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 92,131 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $44,770,000 after buying an additional 2,011 shares during the period. Finally, Old West Investment Management LLC increased its position in shares of Lockheed Martin by 6.6% in the third quarter. Old West Investment Management LLC now owns 26,633 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $15,569,000 after acquiring an additional 1,643 shares in the last quarter. 74.19% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Lockheed Martin

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.