Cetera Investment Advisers Boosts Stock Holdings in General Dynamics Corporation $GD

Key Points

• Cetera Investment Advisers increased its General Dynamics stake by 7.6% in Q1, bringing its holdings to 150,760 shares valued at about $51.7 million.
• General Dynamics reported strong Q1 results, with earnings of $4.10 per share and revenue of $13.48 billion, both above Wall Street expectations and up 10.3% year over year.
• Analysts remain broadly constructive on the stock: General Dynamics has a Moderate Buy consensus rating, while the company also announced a quarterly dividend of $1.59 per share payable August 7.

Cetera Investment Advisers increased its position in General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD - Free Report) by 7.6% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 150,760 shares of the aerospace company's stock after buying an additional 10,638 shares during the quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers owned 0.06% of General Dynamics worth $51,744,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Whipplewood Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of General Dynamics by 1,725.0% during the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 73 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 69 shares in the last quarter. Steph & Co. grew its holdings in General Dynamics by 65.2% in the fourth quarter. Steph & Co. now owns 76 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the period. Scarborough Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of General Dynamics during the first quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC increased its stake in shares of General Dynamics by 79.6% during the first quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC now owns 88 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Center for Financial Planning Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of General Dynamics by 220.7% during the fourth quarter. Center for Financial Planning Inc. now owns 93 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.14% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently weighed in on GD shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded General Dynamics from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on General Dynamics from $400.00 to $440.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Citigroup lowered their price target on General Dynamics from $380.00 to $364.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price target on shares of General Dynamics from $387.00 to $377.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, DA Davidson reduced their price objective on shares of General Dynamics from $384.00 to $375.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, General Dynamics has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $391.15.

General Dynamics Trading Up 1.2%

Shares of General Dynamics stock opened at $386.51 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $104.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.32, a PEG ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.34. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $356.19 and a 200-day moving average price of $351.77. The company has a quick ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. General Dynamics Corporation has a twelve month low of $306.03 and a twelve month high of $388.12.

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

General Dynamics Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 2nd will be paid a $1.59 dividend. This represents a $6.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 2nd. General Dynamics's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 40.03%.

Insider Activity

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

More 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?

About General Dynamics

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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