BAE Systems (LON:BA) Earns Hold Rating from Jefferies Financial Group

Key Points

• Jefferies reissued a "Hold" on BAE with a GBX 2,200 target (implying ~5.3% upside); Berenberg also kept a "Hold" while raising its target to GBX 2,300 and the analyst consensus is a "Moderate Buy" with an average target of GBX 2,228.
• Shares opened at GBX 2,089.50 (market cap £64.69bn) after quarterly EPS of GBX 75.20 and a PE of 35.85, and insider Tom Arseneault sold 44,140 shares for about £896,925 amid low insider ownership (0.14%).

BAE Systems (LON:BA - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "hold" rating reissued by equities research analysts at Jefferies Financial Group in a note issued to investors on Thursday,Digital Look reports. They presently have a GBX 2,200 target price on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group's price target would suggest a potential upside of 5.29% from the stock's current price.

Separately, Berenberg Bank boosted their price objective on BAE Systems from GBX 2,000 to GBX 2,300 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of GBX 2,228.

BAE Systems Price Performance

Shares of LON BA opened at GBX 2,089.50 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of £64.69 billion, a PE ratio of 35.85, a PEG ratio of 3.33 and a beta of 0.01. The firm has a fifty day moving average of GBX 2,193.67 and a 200 day moving average of GBX 1,968.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 89.65, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a current ratio of 0.99. BAE Systems has a one year low of GBX 1,012.50 and a one year high of GBX 1,415.25.

BAE Systems (LON:BA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 18th. The company reported GBX 75.20 EPS for the quarter. BAE Systems had a return on equity of 18.23% and a net margin of 7.28%. As a group, research analysts predict that BAE Systems will post 73.537927 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Tom Arseneault sold 44,140 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 2,032, for a total value of £896,924.80. Insiders purchased 27 shares of company stock valued at $58,212 in the last ninety days. 0.14% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

BAE Systems Company Profile

BAE Systems plc provides defense, aerospace, and security solutions worldwide. The company operates through five segments: Electronic Systems, Platforms & Services, Air, Maritime, and Cyber & Intelligence. The Electronic Systems segment offers electronic warfare systems, navigation systems, electro-optical sensors, military and commercial digital engine and flight controls, precision guidance and seeker solutions, military communication systems and data links, persistent surveillance capabilities, space electronics, and electric drive propulsion systems.

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