Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ:ESLT) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Hold" from Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts maintain a “Hold” consensus on Elbit Systems, with all five covering analysts issuing hold ratings and an average 12-month price target of $870. Several firms recently lowered their targets.
• Elbit Systems exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $4.14 in EPS versus the $3.69 consensus and revenue of $2.29 billion versus $2.25 billion expected.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.00, equivalent to $4.00 annually and a 0.5% yield; institutional investors own 17.88% of the stock.

Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ:ESLT - Get Free Report) has been given a consensus recommendation of "Hold" by the five brokerages that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $870.00.

A number of research analysts have weighed in on ESLT shares. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Elbit Systems from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 26th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Elbit Systems from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, September 5th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on Elbit Systems from $950.00 to $880.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Elbit Systems from $950.00 to $885.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $845.00 price target on Elbit Systems in a report on Wednesday, July 15th.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. WPG Advisers LLC bought a new position in Elbit Systems in the 1st quarter valued at $26,000. Optiver Holding B.V. acquired a new position in shares of Elbit Systems in the 1st quarter valued at $46,000. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its stake in Elbit Systems by 225.0% in the second quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 65 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $49,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the period. Wexford Capital LP bought a new position in Elbit Systems during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $63,000. Finally, Leonteq Securities AG bought a new position in shares of Elbit Systems during the fourth quarter worth $68,000. 17.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Elbit Systems Stock Performance

Shares of ESLT opened at $728.00 on Friday. Elbit Systems has a 12 month low of $453.00 and a 12 month high of $1,016.06. The company's fifty day moving average is $765.10 and its 200-day moving average is $813.67. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04. The firm has a market cap of $32.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 54.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.01 and a beta of 0.14.

Elbit Systems (NASDAQ:ESLT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 11th. The aerospace company reported $4.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.69 by $0.45. The company had revenue of $2.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.25 billion. Elbit Systems had a return on equity of 16.66% and a net margin of 7.44%. Equities analysts expect that Elbit Systems will post 15.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Elbit Systems Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, October 26th. Investors of record on Tuesday, October 13th will be given a $1.00 dividend. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 13th. Elbit Systems's dividend payout ratio is 25.02%.

Elbit Systems Company Profile

Elbit Systems Ltd. is an Israel-based international defense technology company that develops and supplies systems for military, homeland security, and commercial aviation applications. The company's portfolio includes command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) solutions; unmanned aircraft and ground systems; electro-optical and night-vision equipment; electronic warfare and signals intelligence systems; and cyber-related technologies.

Elbit Systems also provides products and services for land forces, including artillery systems, precision-guided munitions, vehicle systems, tactical communications, and fire-control solutions.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.