Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT) Receives Average Recommendation of "Hold" from Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating on Lockheed Martin, with 10 hold, seven buy, one strong-buy and one sell recommendation. The average 12-month price target is $637.56.
• Recent defense developments support Lockheed’s backlog, including a $1.2 billion U.S. Army Precision Strike Missile contract and multiyear Pentagon agreements to expand PAC-3 MSE and THAAD interceptor production.
• Lockheed reported quarterly EPS of $7.94, above the $7.22 consensus, while revenue rose 10.5% year over year to $20.06 billion. The company also pays a quarterly dividend of $3.45 per share, equivalent to a 2.7% annualized yield.

Shares of Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT - Get Free Report) have been given a consensus recommendation of "Hold" by the nineteen brokerages that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, ten have issued a hold recommendation, seven have given a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $637.56.

A number of research analysts have weighed in on LMT shares. Weiss Ratings lowered Lockheed Martin from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Thursday. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "hold" rating on shares of Lockheed Martin in a research report on Wednesday, September 2nd. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Lockheed Martin from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Sunday, September 20th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Lockheed Martin from $653.00 to $690.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, UBS Group raised shares of Lockheed Martin from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their price objective for the company from $581.00 to $674.00 in a research note on Tuesday, September 8th.

Lockheed Martin News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Lockheed Martin received a $1.2 billion U.S. Army contract for its Precision Strike Missile, providing a potentially meaningful production and backlog catalyst as the company expands its missile portfolio. A $1.2 Billion Reason to Buy Lockheed Martin Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Lockheed committed $10 million to help launch Canada’s integrated defense ecosystem, while Mexico expanded its C-130J Super Hercules fleet and Germany reached an F-35A delivery milestone. The developments reinforce international demand for Lockheed’s aircraft and defense systems. Lockheed Martin Puts $10 Million Into Canada As Global Defense Deals Build
• Positive Sentiment: Multiyear Pentagon framework agreements with Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics aim to substantially increase PAC-3 MSE and THAAD interceptor production, supporting the long-term missile-defense backlog. Could Lockheed Martin’s Missile Defense Boom Give It an Edge Over General Dynamics?
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary argues that strong demand, defense restocking and Lockheed’s backlog may leave LMT undervalued, potentially improving sentiment if contract awards translate into higher earnings. Lockheed Martin Looks Undervalued in a Long Restocking Cycle

Lockheed Martin Price Performance

Shares of Lockheed Martin stock opened at $519.07 on Friday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $557.59 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $556.67. Lockheed Martin has a 12 month low of $437.25 and a 12 month high of $692.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $119.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.13, a PEG ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.34, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 1.01.

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

Lockheed Martin Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 25th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st were issued a dividend of $3.45 per share. This represents a $13.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 1st. Lockheed Martin's payout ratio is currently 50.87%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lockheed Martin

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LMT. QRG Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Lockheed Martin by 0.6% during the 2nd quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 13,021 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $6,634,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its holdings in shares of Lockheed Martin by 1.3% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 32,975,170 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $16,799,530,000 after purchasing an additional 419,582 shares during the period. Silicon Valley Capital Partners increased its position in Lockheed Martin by 2.6% during the second quarter. Silicon Valley Capital Partners now owns 1,371 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $699,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Altus USA Inc. acquired a new stake in Lockheed Martin during the second quarter worth about $199,000. Finally, U S Wealth Group LLC. raised its stake in Lockheed Martin by 14.8% during the second quarter. U S Wealth Group LLC. now owns 7,555 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $3,849,000 after purchasing an additional 973 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.19% of the company's stock.

Lockheed Martin Company Profile

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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