TD Cowen Upgrades Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) to “Strong-Buy”

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) was upgraded by equities research analysts at TD Cowen to a “strong-buy” rating in a report issued on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded shares of Leidos from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their target price for the company from $228.00 to $153.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Truist Financial reduced their price objective on Leidos from $205.00 to $185.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. Barclays lifted their target price on Leidos from $165.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, November 4th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on Leidos from $145.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Finally, UBS Group began coverage on shares of Leidos in a report on Monday, December 2nd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $182.00 price target for the company. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $182.00.

Leidos Price Performance

Shares of NYSE LDOS opened at $143.20 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $169.45 and a two-hundred day moving average of $157.60. The company has a market capitalization of $19.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.31, a PEG ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 0.64. The company has a current ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. Leidos has a twelve month low of $105.52 and a twelve month high of $202.90.

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 29th. The aerospace company reported $2.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 firm had revenue of $4.19 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.06 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.03 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts expect that Leidos will post 9.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other Leidos news, Director Surya N. Mohapatra sold 2,748 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $194.97, for a total value of $535,777.56. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 20,001 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,899,594.97. This represents a 12.08 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Noel B. Geer acquired 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 20th. The shares were bought at an average price of $161.13 per share, for a total transaction of $322,260.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 2,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $322,260. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders own 0.96% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Leidos

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Beaird Harris Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Leidos by 160.0% during the 3rd quarter. Beaird Harris Wealth Management LLC now owns 468 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $76,000 after purchasing an additional 288 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its position in Leidos by 30.3% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 346,690 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $58,459,000 after purchasing an additional 80,642 shares during the period. Tidal Investments LLC boosted its stake in Leidos by 16.7% during the third quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 13,191 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $2,150,000 after buying an additional 1,883 shares in the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new stake in Leidos in the 3rd quarter valued at $311,000. Finally, World Investment Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Leidos by 18.3% in the 3rd quarter. World Investment Advisors LLC now owns 3,395 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $553,000 after buying an additional 526 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.