Lockheed Martin Corporation $LMT Stock Bought by Sterling Capital Management LLC

Key Points

• Sterling Capital Management increased its Lockheed Martin stake by 22% in the third quarter, bringing its holdings to 27,344 shares valued at approximately $13.9 million. Institutional investors collectively own 74.19% of the company.
• Lockheed Martin reported quarterly earnings of $7.97 per share, beating estimates of $7.52, while revenue rose 11.3% year over year to $20.71 billion. The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $3.60 per share, representing a 2.4% yield.
• Analysts maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating with an average price target of $632.33, although execution risks remain as the company works to convert its record backlog into deliveries and cash flow.

Sterling Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT - Free Report) by 22.0% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 27,344 shares of the aerospace company's stock after buying an additional 4,925 shares during the period. Sterling Capital Management LLC's holdings in Lockheed Martin were worth $13,925,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in Lockheed Martin during the second quarter worth approximately $9,617,574,000. Corient Private Wealth LP acquired a new position in Lockheed Martin during the second quarter valued at approximately $101,960,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in Lockheed Martin during the second quarter valued at approximately $645,258,000. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new position in shares of Lockheed Martin in the second quarter valued at approximately $497,469,000. Finally, Diamant Asset Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Lockheed Martin by 60,339.0% in the first quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 879,387 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $531,493,000 after purchasing an additional 877,932 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 74.19% of the company's stock.

Lockheed Martin Stock Performance

Shares of LMT stock traded up $14.96 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $604.87. 1,815,661 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,258,523. Lockheed Martin Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $437.25 and a fifty-two week high of $692.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $139.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.49, a P/E/G ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.09. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $538.52 and a 200-day moving average price of $542.30. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.04.

Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 22nd. The aerospace company reported $7.97 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $7.52 by $0.45. The company had revenue of $20.71 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $20.48 billion. Lockheed Martin had a return on equity of 83.41% and a net margin of 8.23%. Lockheed Martin's revenue for the quarter was up 11.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $6.95 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Lockheed Martin Corporation will post 30.49 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lockheed Martin Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 1st will be paid a dividend of $3.60 per share. This represents a $14.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 1st. This is an increase from Lockheed Martin's previous quarterly dividend of $3.45. Lockheed Martin's dividend payout ratio is currently 51.15%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on LMT. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Lockheed Martin from $653.00 to $692.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday. Sanford C. Bernstein lowered their target price on shares of Lockheed Martin from $629.00 to $564.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 14th. Robert W. Baird set a $700.00 target price on shares of Lockheed Martin in a report on Friday, July 24th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $600.00 target price on shares of Lockheed Martin in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Lockheed Martin from $691.00 to $706.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $632.33.

Lockheed Martin News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Lockheed Martin this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 beat and raised outlook: Lockheed reported adjusted EPS of $7.97 versus the $7.52 consensus, while revenue rose 11.3% year over year to $20.71 billion. Management now expects 2026 sales of $80 billion-$82 billion and EPS of $30.35-$30.75. Lockheed Martin Reports Third Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Record backlog supports future revenue: Total backlog reached approximately $292 billion, up sharply from the prior quarter, with much of the increase coming from PAC-3 and THAAD missile-defense orders. Missiles and Fire Control sales grew 24% as production accelerated, strengthening visibility into long-term growth. Lockheed Martin’s Record $292 Billion Backlog Comes With a Delivery Test
• Positive Sentiment: Long-term F-35 commitment: The Pentagon and Lockheed announced an initial framework for producing 850 F-35 aircraft over 10 years. The agreement provides greater production visibility and could improve supply-chain efficiency, although Lockheed will invest about $7 billion in supporting projects. Pentagon, Lockheed announce agreement for 850 F-35 jets
• Positive Sentiment: Cash flow and shareholder returns: Lockheed raised its 2026 free-cash-flow outlook to roughly $7.8 billion-$8.0 billion and recently increased its quarterly dividend 4.4% to $3.60 per share. Lockheed Martin, Interactive Brokers, AEP Hike Dividends on Strong Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry forecasts point to strong growth in defense electronics and land-based C4ISR, potentially expanding Lockheed Martin’s addressable market, but these reports are third-party projections rather than new company contracts.
• Negative Sentiment: Execution and funding risks remain: The backlog must be converted into deliveries and cash. F-35 deliveries fell year over year, and Lockheed said spending on the Lot 20 advance contract has exceeded currently authorized funding. Higher contract assets and supply-chain constraints could also delay cash collection or pressure margins. Lockheed is spending its own money before Washington signs off

Lockheed Martin Profile

Lockheed Martin Corporation is a global security and aerospace company headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. Formed in 1995 through the merger of Lockheed Corporation and Martin Marietta, the company develops and produces advanced defense, aerospace, and technology systems for government and commercial customers.

Its principal business areas include Aeronautics, Missiles and Fire Control, Rotary and Mission Systems, and Space. Products and services include military aircraft such as the F-35 Lightning II, C-130 Hercules, and F-16 Fighting Falcon; missile-defense and precision-strike systems; helicopters and naval systems; command, control, communications, and intelligence technologies; satellites; space exploration systems; and other classified space and defense programs.

Lockheed Martin serves the U.S.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.