M Holdings Securities Inc. Purchases 8,447 Shares of Lockheed Martin Corporation $LMT

Key Points

• M Holdings Securities opened a new Lockheed Martin position, acquiring 8,447 shares in the third quarter valued at approximately $4.3 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 74.19% of the company’s stock.
• Lockheed Martin beat quarterly earnings expectations, reporting EPS of $7.97 versus estimates of $7.52 and revenue of $20.71 billion, up 11.3% year over year. It also raised its quarterly dividend from $3.45 to $3.60 per share.
• Analysts’ consensus rating is Moderate Buy, with a $647 average price target. The article also notes potential headwinds from uncertainty about proposed defense spending and a $29.5 million settlement of federal discrimination claims.

M Holdings Securities Inc. acquired a new position in Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT - Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 8,447 shares of the aerospace company's stock, valued at approximately $4,302,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of LMT. State Street Corp raised its position in shares of Lockheed Martin by 1.3% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 32,975,170 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $16,799,530,000 after acquiring an additional 419,582 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in shares of Lockheed Martin in the 2nd quarter worth $9,617,574,000. Corient Private Wealth LP lifted its position in Lockheed Martin by 3,983.3% in the 2nd quarter. Corient Private Wealth LP now owns 7,110,961 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $3,622,750,000 after acquiring an additional 6,936,814 shares in the last quarter. Sanders Capital LLC grew its holdings in Lockheed Martin by 44.8% during the third quarter. Sanders Capital LLC now owns 3,030,638 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $1,543,352,000 after buying an additional 937,105 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in shares of Lockheed Martin in the 2nd quarter worth $645,258,000. 74.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lockheed Martin Stock Performance

Shares of LMT opened at $566.43 on Monday. Lockheed Martin Corporation has a 12-month low of $437.25 and a 12-month high of $692.00. The company has a current ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.04. The company has a market cap of $130.85 billion, a PE ratio of 20.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 0.07. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $548.25 and a 200-day moving average price of $569.65.

Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The aerospace company reported $7.97 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $7.52 by $0.45. The business had revenue of $20.71 billion for 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%. The firm's revenue was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $6.95 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Lockheed Martin Corporation will post 30.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lockheed Martin Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 1st will be given a $3.60 dividend. This represents a $14.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 1st. This is a boost from Lockheed Martin's previous quarterly dividend of $3.45. Lockheed Martin's dividend payout ratio is 49.02%.

Key Stories Impacting Lockheed Martin

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks says Lockheed Martin has gained 12% over six months, supported by a record backlog, global defense demand, major contracts and strategic acquisitions. It also describes the shares as trading at a discount to the industry, which could appeal to value-focused investors. Article: LMT Trades at a Discount to the Industry
• Positive Sentiment: Industry earnings point to ongoing demand for conventional weapons as well as drones and advanced defense systems, a supportive backdrop for defense contractors, although the article does not provide Lockheed-specific results. Article: Defense earnings reveal a more complicated rearmament boom
• Neutral Sentiment: Lockheed Martin is attracting increased attention from Zacks users, but the coverage does not identify a specific new company development driving that interest. Article: What to Know Beyond Why Lockheed Martin Is a Trending Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Defense shares faced political and budget uncertainty after Democrats took control of Congress. Reports say a proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget request may be in jeopardy, raising questions about future spending and contributing to pressure on Lockheed Martin and other contractors. Article: Defense Stocks Sank as Democrats Took Congress
• Negative Sentiment: Lockheed Martin agreed to pay $29.5 million to settle federal claims that it discriminated against white workers. The payment is a cost and may bring reputational scrutiny, though it is not presented as a change to the company’s operating outlook. Article: Lockheed Martin paying $29.5M settlement

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently issued reports on LMT. Guggenheim initiated coverage on Lockheed Martin in a report on Wednesday, November 4th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $735.00 target price for the company. UBS Group lifted their price target on Lockheed Martin from $653.00 to $692.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, October 23rd. Rothschild & Co Redburn assumed coverage on Lockheed Martin in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. They set a "buy" rating and a $650.00 price target on the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Lockheed Martin from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Friday, October 9th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on Lockheed Martin from $550.00 to $600.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Friday, October 23rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $647.00.

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.

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