Lockheed Martin Corporation $LMT Stock Holdings Decreased by Willis Investment Counsel

Key Points

• Willis Investment Counsel trimmed its Lockheed Martin position by 5.5% in Q4 to 94,257 shares (about $45.59M), leaving LMT as its 8th-largest holding; overall institutional ownership of the stock is roughly 74.2%.
• Analysts are mixed: the consensus rating is "Hold" with an average price target of $645.79, though individual firms range from upgrades (e.g., BNP Paribas $770, RBC $650, Baird $640) to downgrades.
• Lockheed recently beat revenue but missed EPS (revenue $20.32B; EPS $5.80 vs. $6.33 est.) and pays a $3.45 quarterly dividend (≈2.2% yield); proposed defense budget increases and AIM-260 funding are positives, while program losses and geopolitical shifts create near-term volatility.

Willis Investment Counsel reduced its position in Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT - Free Report) by 5.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 94,257 shares of the aerospace company's stock after selling 5,521 shares during the period. Lockheed Martin comprises approximately 2.4% of Willis Investment Counsel's holdings, making the stock its 8th largest position. Willis Investment Counsel's holdings in Lockheed Martin were worth $45,589,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Carnegie Investment Counsel increased its stake in Lockheed Martin by 11.4% in the 3rd quarter. Carnegie Investment Counsel now owns 29,639 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $14,796,000 after buying an additional 3,031 shares during the period. VCI Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Lockheed Martin in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $3,075,000. DAVENPORT & Co LLC grew its position in Lockheed Martin by 22.4% in the third quarter. DAVENPORT & Co LLC now owns 25,423 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $12,688,000 after acquiring an additional 4,652 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its position in Lockheed Martin by 29.2% in the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 10,036 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $5,010,000 after acquiring an additional 2,270 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. grew its position in Lockheed Martin by 9.3% in the third quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 39,410 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $19,674,000 after acquiring an additional 3,352 shares in the last quarter. 74.19% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have commented on LMT shares. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Lockheed Martin from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Lockheed Martin from $615.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a "market perform" rating and issued a $654.00 target price on shares of Lockheed Martin in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on shares of Lockheed Martin from $550.00 to $640.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Finally, DZ Bank downgraded shares of Lockheed Martin from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $665.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $645.79.

Lockheed Martin News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Congressional/DoD funding pressure: A proposed $2.9 billion allocation for Lockheed’s AIM-260 missile in 2027 and related Pentagon budget surge reports increase the likelihood of accelerated program funding and production ramp, supporting future revenue for Lockheed’s missile systems. Lockheed Martin Gains As $2.9 Billion AIM-260 Funding Proposed For 2027
• Positive Sentiment: Sector-tailwind from Washington: Coverage notes that President Trump’s proposed $2.2T defense budget and Pentagon budget moves signal stronger topline visibility for prime contractors, easing concerns around Lockheed’s forward guidance. Trump's $2.2T proposed defense budget boosts Lockheed Martin's outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and price-target increases: BNP Paribas Exane raised its price target to $770 (outperform), a sizable upside signal; Jefferies also nudged its target to $640 and an analyst note flagged upside potential — these lifts can support near-term buying interest. BNP Paribas raises Lockheed Martin price target to $770
• Neutral Sentiment: Fundamental/market momentum: Coverage highlights Lockheed’s strong 2026 performance (up ~30% YTD) and defensive characteristics (low beta, dividend yield ~2%), reinforcing its appeal as a large-cap defense growth-and-income name but also reflecting elevated multiples. Lockheed Martin Stock Is Up 30% in 2026 and Yields 2%
• Neutral Sentiment: Supplier contract renewal: Exostar won a new five-year contract with Lockheed to manage supplier/risk/compliance workflows — a modest operational positive that supports supply-chain continuity but is not material to top-line figures. Exostar Wins New 5-Year Contract with Lockheed Martin
• Negative Sentiment: Market headwinds from Iran cease-fire: Multiple outlets report defense stocks pared gains after an Iran cease-fire and investors awaiting policy moves; defense ETFs have lagged, which is pressuring Lockheed despite company-specific positives. Defense Stocks Mixed After Iran Cease-Fire
• Negative Sentiment: Program disappointment: Lockheed failed to advance in the Army’s Flight School Next competition (Bell M1 moved forward), a loss that removes a near-term contract opportunity and may weigh on sentiment for that program area. Bell, M1 Move Onto Final Phase Of Army’s Flight School Next Competition, Lockheed Doesn’t Advance
• Negative Sentiment: Short-term stock weakness: News roundups note recent daily declines and sector volatility tied to macro and geopolitical headlines, which can create short-term downside despite favorable program funding. Lockheed Martin (LMT) Stock Slides as Market Rises

Lockheed Martin Price Performance

Shares of Lockheed Martin stock opened at $628.11 on Thursday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $638.59 and a 200-day simple moving average of $545.62. The company has a current ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.05. Lockheed Martin Corporation has a 1-year low of $410.11 and a 1-year high of $692.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $144.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.23, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.23.

Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The aerospace company reported $5.80 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $6.33 by ($0.53). The company had revenue of $20.32 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.84 billion. Lockheed Martin had a net margin of 6.69% and a return on equity of 108.53%. Lockheed Martin's revenue for the quarter was up 9.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $7.67 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Lockheed Martin Corporation will post 27.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Lockheed Martin Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 27th. Investors of record on Monday, March 2nd were paid a dividend of $3.45 per share. This represents a $13.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 2nd. Lockheed Martin's dividend payout ratio is presently 64.22%.

Lockheed Martin Profile

Lockheed Martin Corporation NYSE: LMT is a global aerospace and defense company that designs, develops and manufactures advanced technology systems for government and commercial customers. Formed through the 1995 merger of Lockheed Corporation and Martin Marietta, the company is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, and focuses on providing integrated solutions across air, space, land and sea domains. Its primary customers include the U.S. Department of Defense, NASA and allied governments around the world.

Lockheed Martin's product and service portfolio spans military aircraft, missile and fire-control systems, missile defense, space systems and satellite technologies, sensors and precision weapons.

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