Hardman Johnston Global Advisors LLC Reduces Holdings in Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS)

Hardman Johnston Global Advisors LLC lessened its stake in Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) by 19.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 72,245 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after selling 17,855 shares during the period. Hardman Johnston Global Advisors LLC’s holdings in Leidos were worth $10,408,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Rakuten Securities Inc. lifted its holdings in Leidos by 1,460.0% in the third quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 156 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 146 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Leidos during the 3rd quarter worth about $29,000. Berbice Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Leidos in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Mather Group LLC. increased its holdings in shares of Leidos by 143.1% in the 4th quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 265 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 156 shares during the period. Finally, Human Investing LLC acquired a new position in shares of Leidos in the 4th quarter valued at about $52,000. Institutional investors own 76.12% of the company’s stock.

Leidos Stock Down 2.6 %

Shares of NYSE:LDOS opened at $126.66 on Monday. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $144.36 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $156.84. The firm has a market cap of $16.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.71, a PEG ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.66. 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 52-week low of $123.22 and a 52-week high of $202.90.

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

Leidos Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be paid a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.26%. Leidos’s payout ratio is presently 17.32%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently commented on LDOS shares. Truist Financial lowered their price target on Leidos from $185.00 to $165.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. William Blair cut Leidos from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on Leidos from $180.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Cantor Fitzgerald started coverage on Leidos in a research note on Friday, February 7th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $185.00 target price for the company. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Leidos from $199.00 to $197.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $176.27.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Robert C. Kovarik, Jr. sold 1,511 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $134.56, for a total value of $203,320.16. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 6,408 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $862,260.48. The trade was a 19.08 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Gary Stephen May sold 2,128 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.24, for a total value of $279,278.72. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 11,264 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,478,287.36. This trade represents a 15.89 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.96% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Leidos Company Profile

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.