Bae Systems (OTCMKTS:BAESY) Shares Down 4.4% - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• Bae Systems shares fell about 4.4% to roughly $116.92 on Tuesday (intraday low $116.59), with trading volume down ~92% versus the average (≈40,958 vs 506,116 shares).
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but leans positive — four Buy ratings and three Hold ratings give an average rating of "Moderate Buy", with recent actions including Kepler upgrading to Hold and Sanford C. Bernstein cutting to Market Perform.
• Institutional ownership is very low at about 0.21%, although several hedge funds and asset managers modestly increased or initiated positions in recent quarters.

Bae Systems PLC (OTCMKTS:BAESY - Get Free Report) shares dropped 4.4% on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $116.59 and last traded at $116.9150. Approximately 40,958 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 92% from the average daily volume of 506,116 shares. The stock had previously closed at $122.25.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on BAESY shares. Kepler Capital Markets upgraded shares of Bae Systems from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Sanford C. Bernstein lowered Bae Systems from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of Bae Systems in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy".

Bae Systems Trading Down 4.8%

The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $117.86 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $105.72.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Bae Systems

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Arrow Capital Pty Ltd bought a new position in Bae Systems during the third quarter valued at about $5,531,000. Altrius Capital Management Inc grew its position in shares of Bae Systems by 5.5% during the 4th quarter. Altrius Capital Management Inc now owns 93,878 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $8,719,000 after acquiring an additional 4,911 shares during the period. Ramirez Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Bae Systems by 6.8% during the 4th quarter. Ramirez Asset Management Inc. now owns 70,620 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $6,512,000 after purchasing an additional 4,527 shares during the last quarter. First Merchants Corp lifted its stake in Bae Systems by 4.8% in the third quarter. First Merchants Corp now owns 65,230 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $7,233,000 after purchasing an additional 2,978 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Bae Systems during the fourth quarter valued at $250,000. 0.21% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Bae Systems

BAE Systems plc is a global defense, security and aerospace company that designs, develops and manufactures a broad range of military and related products and services. Formed in 1999 through the combination of British Aerospace and Marconi Electronic Systems, the company supplies platforms, systems and support across air, land, maritime and cyber domains. Its portfolio spans combat and support aircraft systems, naval shipbuilding and subsystems, armored and land combat solutions, electronic and sensor systems, munitions, and intelligence, surveillance and cybersecurity capabilities.

BAE Systems serves government and military customers worldwide, with particularly large footprints in the United Kingdom and the United States as well as operations and sales across Europe, the Middle East, Australia and other markets.

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