Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Boosts Stock Position in Leidos Holdings, Inc. $LDOS

Key Points

• Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in Leidos Holdings, Inc. by 10%, now owning about 1.46% of the company, which amounts to approximately $253 million.
• Leidos recently reported earnings of $3.21 per share for the last quarter, significantly beating analysts' expectations of $2.63, and indicated a revenue of $4.25 billion.
• The company has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.40 per share, with the ex-dividend date set for September 15th, representing an annualized yield of 0.9% on a payout ratio of 15.12%.

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in shares of Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS - Free Report) by 10.0% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,877,020 shares of the aerospace company's stock after acquiring an additional 170,263 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned about 1.46% of Leidos worth $253,262,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Marshall & Sterling Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Leidos in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. REAP Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Leidos by 422.2% in 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 during the last quarter. MCF Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Leidos in the first quarter valued at $27,000. Optimum Investment Advisors boosted its stake in shares of Leidos by 260.0% during the first quarter. Optimum Investment Advisors now owns 234 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 169 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Zions Bancorporation National Association UT purchased a new stake in Leidos during the 1st quarter worth about $33,000. 76.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Leidos Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of NYSE LDOS traded up $0.66 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $181.10. The stock had a trading volume of 339,219 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,356,399. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $163.63 and a 200 day moving average price of $149.16. The company has a market capitalization of $23.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.11, a PEG ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 0.65. Leidos Holdings, Inc. has a 1-year low of $123.62 and a 1-year high of $202.90. The company has a quick ratio of 1.50, a current ratio of 1.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06.

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

Leidos Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Monday, September 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 15th. Leidos's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 15.12%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $190.00 price target (up from $186.00) on shares of Leidos in a research note on Monday, July 14th. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Leidos from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $185.00 to $205.00 in a research note on Wednesday, August 6th. Robert W. Baird downgraded Leidos from an "outperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $163.00 price target for the company. in a report on Tuesday, May 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on Leidos from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $178.00 target price on Leidos and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Leidos currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $179.46.

Insider Activity at Leidos

In other news, Director Gary Stephen May sold 2,000 shares of Leidos stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $178.05, for a total transaction of $356,100.00. Following the sale, the director owned 10,137 shares in the company, valued at $1,804,892.85. This trade represents a 16.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Gregory R. Dahlberg sold 952 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $177.43, for a total transaction of $168,913.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 21,068 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,738,095.24. This trade represents a 4.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 10,478 shares of company stock worth $1,852,525. 0.96% 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.