Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership Grows Position in General Dynamics Corporation $GD

Key Points

• Arrowstreet Capital increased its General Dynamics stake by 65.7% in the first quarter, ending with 641,889 shares valued at about $220.3 million.
• Analyst sentiment on GD remains constructive overall: the stock has a Moderate Buy consensus, with an average price target of $391.15 and several firms recently raising or maintaining bullish ratings.
• General Dynamics is trading near a 52-week high and investors are watching its upcoming Q2 earnings closely, with expectations supported by a record backlog and improved defense operations.

Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its stake in General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD - Free Report) by 65.7% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 641,889 shares of the aerospace company's stock after acquiring an additional 254,484 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership owned 0.24% of General Dynamics worth $220,309,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in shares of General Dynamics by 16.9% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 2,885 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $760,000 after buying an additional 417 shares in the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in General Dynamics by 140.2% in the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 3,445 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $938,000 after acquiring an additional 2,011 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in General Dynamics during the 2nd quarter valued at $240,000. Flow Traders U.S. LLC bought a new stake in shares of General Dynamics in the 2nd quarter worth $352,000. Finally, Jump Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of General Dynamics during the second quarter valued at approximately $1,284,000. Institutional investors own 86.14% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

GD has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Citigroup cut their price objective on General Dynamics from $380.00 to $364.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, May 18th. UBS Group raised General Dynamics from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of General Dynamics from $410.00 to $435.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of General Dynamics from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on General Dynamics in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $400.00 price objective on the stock. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, General Dynamics currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $391.15.

Key General Dynamics News

Here are the key news stories impacting General Dynamics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: GD has hit a 52-week high, reflecting strong momentum and investor confidence in the defense contractor’s outlook. General Dynamics Corporation (GD) Hit a 52 Week High, Can the Run Continue?
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are focusing on GD’s upcoming Q2 results, with attention on a record backlog and improving defense operations, which could support the stock if management delivers strong numbers and positive commentary on submarines and Gulfstream. General Dynamics to Release Q2 Earnings: Here's What to Expect
• Positive Sentiment: Recent investor sentiment has also been helped by broader strength in defense stocks, with peers posting solid results and raising guidance, which has lifted expectations for GD ahead of its July 29 earnings release. Why General Dynamics (GD) Stock Is Up Today
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street is also watching GD’s Q2 estimates and key operating metrics closely, suggesting the market may be waiting for confirmation that recent strength is sustainable rather than purely speculative. General Dynamics (GD) Q2 Earnings on the Horizon: Analysts' Insights on Key Performance Measures
• Neutral Sentiment: One article compared GD’s value profile with GE Aerospace, reinforcing that investors still see GD as a large-cap defense name with valuation appeal, but not necessarily a fresh catalyst by itself. GD vs. GE: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

Insider Buying and Selling at General Dynamics

In related news, Director Mark Malcolm sold 5,480 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $365.00, for a total transaction of $2,000,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 10,643 shares in the company, valued at $3,884,695. The trade was a 33.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Mark Lagrand Burns sold 36,480 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $345.29, for a total value of $12,596,179.20. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 38,975 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $13,457,677.75. This represents a 48.35% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 78,190 shares of company stock worth $27,041,022 in the last three months. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

General Dynamics Price Performance

GD stock opened at $386.51 on Friday. The business's 50-day moving average is $356.19 and its two-hundred day moving average is $351.77. The firm has a market capitalization of $104.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.32, a P/E/G ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.34. General Dynamics Corporation has a 1 year low of $306.03 and a 1 year high of $388.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 1.38 and a quick ratio of 0.90.

General Dynamics (NYSE:GD - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The aerospace company reported $4.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.67 by $0.43. General Dynamics had a net margin of 8.07% and a return on equity of 17.41%. The company had revenue of $13.48 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.70 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.66 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that General Dynamics Corporation will post 16.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

General Dynamics Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 2nd will be paid a dividend of $1.59 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 2nd. This represents a $6.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.6%. General Dynamics's payout ratio is presently 40.03%.

General Dynamics Company Profile

General Dynamics is a major American aerospace and defense contractor that designs, manufactures and supports a broad range of products and services for government and commercial customers worldwide. Headquartered in the United States (Reston, Virginia), the company supplies platforms and systems used by armed forces, civil authorities and private operators across multiple domains including air, land, sea and cyber.

Its principal activities span several operating businesses: a business aviation unit that develops and supports Gulfstream business jets; land systems that produce armored combat vehicles and related logistics and sustainment services; marine systems that design and construct submarines and surface ships for navies; and mission systems and information technology operations that provide command-and-control, communications, cybersecurity and systems-integration services.

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