Bae Systems PLC (OTCMKTS:BAESY) Receives Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Key Points

• Bae Systems has a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from six brokerages, split evenly with three analysts rating the stock a buy and three rating it a hold.
• Analyst activity is mixed recently: Jefferies reissued a hold, Kepler upgraded from "strong sell" to hold, and Sanford C. Bernstein downgraded from outperform to market perform, reflecting varied outlooks.
• BAESY opened at $111.55 with a 52‑week range of $84.50–$126.00 and moving averages of $118.26 (50-day) and $105.94 (200-day); the company shows modest leverage (debt/equity 0.60) and notably low institutional ownership at about 0.21%.

Bae Systems PLC (OTCMKTS:BAESY - Get Free Report) has earned a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the six brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company.

Several analysts have commented on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "hold" rating on shares of Bae Systems in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Kepler Capital Markets raised shares of Bae Systems from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein downgraded shares of Bae Systems from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th.

Bae Systems Stock Performance

BAESY stock opened at $111.55 on Friday. Bae Systems has a 52-week low of $84.50 and a 52-week high of $126.00. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $118.26 and its 200-day simple moving average is $105.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 0.99.

Institutional Trading of Bae Systems

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Altrius Capital Management Inc grew its position in Bae Systems by 5.5% in the fourth quarter. Altrius Capital Management Inc now owns 93,878 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $8,719,000 after acquiring an additional 4,911 shares in the last quarter. Ramirez Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings 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 buying an additional 4,527 shares during the period. First Merchants Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Bae Systems by 1.3% during the 1st quarter. First Merchants Corp now owns 68,422 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $7,940,000 after buying an additional 854 shares during the period. Arrow Capital Pty Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Bae Systems during the 3rd quarter worth $5,531,000. Finally, Sit Investment Associates Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Bae Systems by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Sit Investment Associates Inc. now owns 35,476 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $3,295,000 after buying an additional 910 shares during the period. 0.21% of the stock is 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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