Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) Upgraded to "Strong-Buy" at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Lockheed Martin to “strong-buy” from “buy,” while the broader analyst consensus remains “hold,” with an average price target of $637.56.
• Lockheed Martin reported quarterly revenue of $20.06 billion and adjusted earnings of $7.94 per share, exceeding analyst estimates; revenue rose 10.5% year over year.
• Potential growth catalysts include a proposed $24.3 billion Saudi F-35 sale, accelerated AIM-260 missile production, and continued international adoption of the F-35 program, though these opportunities remain subject to execution and geopolitical risks.

Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note issued on Sunday, Wall Street Zen reports.

A number of other research analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. UBS Group upgraded Lockheed Martin from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their target price for the company from $581.00 to $674.00 in a report on Tuesday, September 8th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "hold" rating on shares of Lockheed Martin in a report on Wednesday, September 2nd. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Lockheed Martin from $653.00 to $690.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Lockheed Martin from $575.00 to $600.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein restated a "market perform" rating on shares of Lockheed Martin in a report on Friday, May 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Lockheed Martin currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $637.56.

Lockheed Martin Stock Performance

Shares of LMT stock opened at $533.86 on Friday. Lockheed Martin has a one year low of $437.25 and a one year high of $692.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.34, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a current ratio of 1.19. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $556.56 and a 200 day moving average price of $561.65. The firm has a market capitalization of $123.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 0.10.

Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The aerospace company reported $7.94 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $7.22 by $0.72. Lockheed Martin had a net margin of 8.16% and a return on equity of 91.42%. The company had revenue of $20.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.34 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.46 EPS. Lockheed Martin's revenue for the quarter was up 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. Lockheed Martin has set its FY 2026 guidance at 29.950-30.650 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Lockheed Martin will post 30.44 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Lockheed Martin

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Lockheed Martin in the 2nd quarter valued at $9,617,574,000. Corient Private Wealth LP acquired a new stake in Lockheed Martin during the 2nd quarter worth about $101,960,000. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in Lockheed Martin by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 1,670,284 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $807,866,000 after buying an additional 10,349 shares in the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG lifted its stake in Lockheed Martin by 7.4% during the fourth quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 1,440,840 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $696,891,000 after buying an additional 99,403 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in shares of Lockheed Martin in the second quarter worth about $645,258,000. 74.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lockheed Martin News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Lockheed Martin this week:

• Positive Sentiment: The U.S. government approved a potential $24.3 billion sale of up to 48 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, including engines and related equipment. Although the transaction still requires additional steps, it could create significant future revenue for Lockheed Martin and its suppliers. Trump administration advances F-35 deal
• Positive Sentiment: Lockheed Martin signed a framework agreement with the U.S. Department of War to accelerate production of the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM). Proposed fiscal 2027 funding for the program is approximately $2.9 billion, up sharply from the current fiscal year, supporting potential multiyear procurement and capacity expansion. Lockheed Martin JATM agreement
• Positive Sentiment: Lockheed reported that GM Defense delivered the first PAC-3 MSE interceptor components in just 22 days. Faster supplier onboarding could help Lockheed rebuild missile inventories, increase production and meet strong U.S. and international demand. Lockheed receives Patriot components from GM
• Positive Sentiment: Germany formally received its first F-35A during a rollout ceremony, highlighting continued international adoption of Lockheed Martin’s flagship fighter program and supporting its long-term backlog. Germany’s first F-35A rollout
• Neutral Sentiment: Lockheed Martin was upgraded to Zacks Rank #2, or Buy, reflecting improved earnings expectations. A separate valuation comparison with Howmet Technologies offers no clear catalyst beyond investor debate over relative value. Lockheed upgraded to Buy
• Negative Sentiment: The Saudi F-35 announcement remains a potential sale rather than booked revenue, while heightened Middle East tensions add geopolitical and execution uncertainty. Investors may also be taking profits or waiting for clearer evidence that accelerated missile production will translate into higher margins and earnings.

About Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin Corporation is a global aerospace, defense and technology company that develops and produces systems for government and commercial customers, with the U.S. Department of Defense serving as its largest customer. Its principal business areas include Aeronautics, Missiles and Fire Control, Rotary and Mission Systems, and Space.

The company's products and services include military aircraft such as the F-35 Lightning II, F-16 and C-130; air and missile defense systems; precision weapons; helicopters and maritime systems; radar, sensors and command-and-control technologies; satellites; space exploration systems; and missile-warning and strategic defense capabilities.

Lockheed Martin was created in 1995 through the merger of Lockheed Corporation and Martin Marietta.

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