Insider Selling: Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) Director Sells 2,000 Shares of Stock

Key Points

• Leidos Holdings, Inc. Director Gary Stephen May sold 2,000 shares at an average price of $178.05, resulting in a total transaction of $356,100 and a 16.48% decrease in their ownership stake.
• The company reported $3.21 EPS for the latest quarter, exceeding analysts' expectations of $2.63, with revenues reaching $4.25 billion.
• Leidos will pay a quarterly dividend of $0.40 per share on September 30th, with an annualized dividend yield of 0.9%.

Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS - Get Free Report) Director Gary Stephen May sold 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $178.05, for a total transaction of $356,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly 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 legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

Leidos Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:LDOS traded up $4.08 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $182.10. 902,487 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 886,407. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 1.50 and a current ratio of 1.62. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $159.74 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $147.66. Leidos Holdings, Inc. has a 12 month low of $123.62 and a 12 month high of $202.90. The firm has a market capitalization of $23.36 billion, a PE ratio of 15.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.65.

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The aerospace company reported $3.21 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.63 by $0.58. The firm had revenue of $4.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.24 billion. Leidos had a net margin of 8.22% and a return on equity of 33.57%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.63 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Leidos Holdings, Inc. will post 10.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Leidos Announces Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Leidos from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and boosted their target price for the company from $185.00 to $205.00 in a research note on Wednesday, August 6th. Baird R W cut Leidos from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased 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. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Leidos from $168.00 to $184.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 7th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lowered Leidos from an "outperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $163.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Tuesday, May 27th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $179.46.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Marshall & Sterling Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Leidos during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. First Pacific Financial bought a new stake in Leidos during the second quarter worth about $27,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Leidos during the second quarter worth approximately $29,000. REAP Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Leidos by 422.2% during the fourth quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 188 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 152 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MCF Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Leidos in the first quarter valued at approximately $27,000. 76.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Leidos Company 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.

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