7,461 Shares in Leidos Holdings, Inc. $LDOS Acquired by B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG

Key Points

• B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG has acquired a new stake in Leidos Holdings, purchasing 7,461 shares worth approximately $1,007,000.
• Leidos reported a strong quarterly performance, with $3.21 EPS surpassing analyst expectations and experiencing a 2.9% year-over-year revenue growth.
• The company announced a $0.40 quarterly dividend, representing an annual yield of 0.9%, with the ex-dividend date set for September 15th.

B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG purchased a new position in shares of Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 7,461 shares of the aerospace company's stock, valued at approximately $1,007,000.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. REAP Financial Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Leidos by 422.2% during the fourth quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 188 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 152 shares in the last quarter. MCF Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Leidos in the first quarter worth about $27,000. Optimum Investment Advisors increased its holdings in shares of Leidos by 260.0% in the first quarter. Optimum Investment Advisors now owns 234 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 169 shares during the period. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT purchased a new position in shares of Leidos in the first quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Leidos in the first quarter worth about $54,000. 76.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Leidos Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of LDOS stock traded down $0.30 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $177.42. 570,557 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,321,458. Leidos Holdings, Inc. has a 1 year low of $123.62 and a 1 year high of $202.90. The company's 50 day moving average is $169.26 and its two-hundred day moving average is $151.81. The company has a current ratio of 1.62, a quick ratio of 1.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06. The firm has a market cap of $22.76 billion, a PE ratio of 16.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.71.

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The aerospace company reported $3.21 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.63 by $0.58. Leidos had a return on equity of 33.57% and a net margin of 8.22%.The firm had revenue of $4.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.24 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.63 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. Leidos has set its FY 2025 guidance at 11.150-11.450 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Leidos Holdings, Inc. will post 10.62 EPS for the current year.

Leidos Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 15th will be given a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 15th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Leidos's dividend payout ratio is currently 15.12%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently commented on LDOS shares. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Leidos from $173.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 8th. Robert W. Baird downgraded shares of Leidos from an "outperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $163.00 target price on the stock. in a research note on Tuesday, May 27th. Citigroup restated a "buy" rating and set a $190.00 price target (up previously from $186.00) on shares of Leidos in a report on Monday, July 14th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $178.00 price target on Leidos and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 24th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $210.00 price target on Leidos and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $183.31.

Insider Transactions at Leidos

In other news, Director Gregory R. Dahlberg sold 952 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $177.43, for a total value of $168,913.36. Following the sale, the director directly owned 21,068 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,738,095.24. This represents a 4.32% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Stephen Edward Hull sold 7,526 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $176.39, for a total value of $1,327,511.14. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 26,481 shares in the company, valued at $4,670,983.59. The trade was a 22.13% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 10,478 shares of company stock valued at $1,852,525 in the last three months. 0.69% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Leidos Profile

Leidos Holdings, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides services and solutions in the defense, intelligence, civil, and health markets in the United States and internationally. The company operates through Defense Solutions, Civil, and Health segments. The Defense Solutions segment offers national security solutions and systems for air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace for the U.S.