Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) Trading 1.2% Higher – What’s Next?

Shares of Lockheed Martin Co. (NYSE:LMT) were up 1.2% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $455.72 and last traded at $454.42. Approximately 302,913 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 72% from the average daily volume of 1,100,857 shares. The stock had previously closed at $448.82.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently commented on LMT. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut Lockheed Martin from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $611.00 to $523.00 in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. Citigroup decreased their price objective on Lockheed Martin from $700.00 to $600.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. UBS Group cut their price objective on Lockheed Martin from $527.00 to $508.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Lockheed Martin from $468.00 to $476.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Lockheed Martin from $540.00 to $535.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $554.20.

Lockheed Martin Stock Up 2.8 %

The business has a 50-day moving average price of $463.18 and a 200 day moving average price of $522.42. The stock has a market capitalization of $111.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.31, a P/E/G ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.10.

Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 28th. The aerospace company reported $7.67 EPS for the quarter, topping 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%. On average, equities analysts expect that Lockheed Martin Co. will post 27.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lockheed Martin Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be issued a $3.30 dividend. This represents a $13.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.78%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. Lockheed Martin’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 59.30%.

Insider Activity at Lockheed Martin

In related news, VP Harry Edward Paul III sold 707 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $442.61, for a total transaction of $312,925.27. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 2,278 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,008,265.58. This trade represents a 23.69 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Robert M. Lightfoot, Jr. sold 3,213 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $442.42, for a total value of $1,421,495.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 2,000 shares in the company, valued at $884,840. This trade represents a 61.63 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 7,133 shares of company stock worth $3,155,916. Company insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Lockheed Martin

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. purchased a new stake in Lockheed Martin in the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Millstone Evans Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lockheed Martin in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Mizuho Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new position in Lockheed Martin in the fourth quarter worth approximately $34,000. Heck Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Lockheed Martin during the 4th quarter worth $35,000. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Lockheed Martin in the 3rd quarter worth $40,000. 74.19% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lockheed Martin Company Profile

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.