2,180 Shares in Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) Acquired by Meridian Wealth Management LLC

Meridian Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 2,180 shares of the aerospace company’s stock, valued at approximately $355,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in LDOS. Advisors Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in Leidos by 97.2% during the 1st quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 12,904 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $1,692,000 after buying an additional 6,360 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its holdings in Leidos by 138.5% during the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 517,498 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $67,840,000 after purchasing an additional 300,486 shares during the period. Bayesian Capital Management LP bought a new position in Leidos during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $1,245,000. Dynasty Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Leidos in the 1st quarter worth approximately $792,000. Finally, Global Financial Private Client LLC grew its position in shares of Leidos by 49.1% in the 1st quarter. Global Financial Private Client LLC now owns 4,411 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $575,000 after buying an additional 1,453 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.12% of the company’s stock.

Leidos Trading Up 0.5 %

NYSE LDOS opened at $165.51 on Monday. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $170.36 and its 200-day moving average price is $156.32. The company has a current ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. The stock has a market cap of $22.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.85, a P/E/G ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 0.68. Leidos Holdings, Inc. has a 12 month low of $105.52 and a 12 month high of $202.90.

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 29th. The aerospace company reported $2.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.96 by $0.97. The business had revenue of $4.19 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.06 billion. Leidos had a net margin of 7.37% and a return on equity of 30.31%. Leidos’s revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.03 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Leidos Holdings, Inc. will post 10.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Leidos Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Monday, December 16th will be given a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 16th. This is a boost from Leidos’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.38. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.97%. Leidos’s dividend payout ratio is 17.31%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Leidos

In other news, Director Robert C. Kovarik, Jr. sold 1,047 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $184.94, for a total transaction of $193,632.18. Following the sale, the director now owns 6,408 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,185,095.52. This trade represents a 14.04 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Noel B. Geer acquired 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 20th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $161.13 per share, with a total value of $322,260.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 2,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $322,260. The trade was a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Company insiders own 0.96% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently commented on LDOS. Bank of America upped their target price on Leidos from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on shares of Leidos from $145.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on shares of Leidos from $180.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on Leidos from $175.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Finally, Truist Financial decreased their target price on Leidos from $205.00 to $185.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $189.69.

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.