General Dynamics Corporation $GD Shares Sold by Aristotle Capital Management LLC

Key Points

• Aristotle Capital Management trimmed its General Dynamics stake by 3.3% in Q1, selling 84,573 shares but still holding 2.45 million shares worth about $839.8 million.
• Several insiders sold shares in recent months, including director Mark Malcolm and EVP Mark Lagrand Burns, with total insider sales of 78,190 shares valued at about $27.0 million over the last three months.
• Analysts remain generally constructive on GD: the consensus rating is Moderate Buy with an average price target of $391.15, while the stock has also been trading near its 52-week high after a strong earnings beat and a raised dividend.

Aristotle Capital Management LLC lowered its holdings in shares of General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD - Free Report) by 3.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,446,709 shares of the aerospace company's stock after selling 84,573 shares during the period. General Dynamics comprises 1.8% of Aristotle Capital Management LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest holding. Aristotle Capital Management LLC owned approximately 0.90% of General Dynamics worth $839,782,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of GD. Wealth Alliance LLC raised its stake in General Dynamics by 5.9% in the 1st quarter. Wealth Alliance LLC now owns 2,103 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $722,000 after purchasing an additional 118 shares during the last quarter. Entropy Technologies LP raised its position in shares of General Dynamics by 252.5% in the first quarter. Entropy Technologies LP now owns 25,855 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $8,874,000 after buying an additional 18,521 shares during the last quarter. Sustainable Insight Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of General Dynamics by 21.0% during the first quarter. Sustainable Insight Capital Management LLC now owns 5,720 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $1,963,000 after buying an additional 994 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in General Dynamics during the first quarter worth approximately $10,358,000. Finally, Bollard Group LLC purchased a new stake in General Dynamics in the 1st quarter worth approximately $47,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.14% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other General Dynamics news, Director Mark Malcolm sold 5,480 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $365.00, for a total transaction of $2,000,200.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 10,643 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,884,695. The trade was a 33.99% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Mark Lagrand Burns sold 36,480 shares of the company'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 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 $13,457,677.75. This trade represents a 48.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 1.40% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have commented on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a "sector perform" rating and issued a $385.00 price target on shares of General Dynamics in a report on Thursday, April 30th. BNP Paribas Exane dropped their price target on shares of General Dynamics from $430.00 to $390.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. UBS Group raised shares of General Dynamics from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. Wells Fargo & Company initiated coverage on shares of General Dynamics in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $400.00 price target on the stock. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on General Dynamics from $385.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price 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?

General Dynamics Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE GD opened at $386.51 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $356.19 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $351.77. General Dynamics Corporation has a 52-week low of $306.03 and a 52-week high of $388.12. The stock 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 (NYSE:GD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The aerospace company reported $4.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.67 by $0.43. The business had revenue of $13.48 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.70 billion. General Dynamics had a return on equity of 17.41% and a net margin of 8.07%.The business's revenue was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $3.66 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that General Dynamics Corporation will post 16.66 earnings per share for the current year.

General Dynamics Announces Dividend

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

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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