Insider Buying: Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) Director Buys 2,000 Shares of Stock

Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) Director Noel B. Geer acquired 2,000 shares of Leidos stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 20th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $161.13 per share, with a total value of $322,260.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 2,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $322,260. This represents a ∞ increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Leidos Trading Up 0.5 %

Shares of LDOS traded up $0.82 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $165.51. 1,591,707 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 929,686. Leidos Holdings, Inc. has a 52-week low of $105.52 and a 52-week high of $202.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 1.23. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $170.16 and a 200 day simple moving average of $155.99. The firm has a market cap of $22.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.76, a P/E/G ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 0.68.

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, October 29th. The aerospace company reported $2.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.96 by $0.97. Leidos had a return on equity of 30.31% and a net margin of 7.37%. The company had revenue of $4.19 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.06 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.03 EPS. Leidos’s revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts anticipate that Leidos Holdings, Inc. will post 10.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Leidos Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 16th will be issued a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 16th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.97%. This is a positive change from Leidos’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.38. Leidos’s payout ratio is presently 17.31%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have weighed in on the stock. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Leidos from $194.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Bank of America raised their price target on Leidos from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Leidos from $183.00 to $230.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on Leidos from $180.00 to $218.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Leidos from $175.00 to $185.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 2nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned 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 target price of $189.69.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Leidos

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Rakuten Securities Inc. raised its position in Leidos by 1,460.0% during the 3rd quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 156 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 146 shares during the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in Leidos in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Leidos in the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. 1832 Asset Management L.P. purchased a new stake in shares of Leidos during the 2nd quarter worth $34,000. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in shares of Leidos by 251.3% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 281 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 201 shares in the last quarter. 76.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.