Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) Cut to "Buy" at Wall Street Zen

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS - Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities researchers at Wall Street Zen from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report released on Thursday.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. UBS Group upped their price target on Leidos from $149.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on shares of Leidos from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised Leidos to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Leidos from $173.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 8th. Finally, Truist Financial decreased their price target on Leidos from $165.00 to $155.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 14th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $180.69.

Leidos Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE LDOS traded down $1.10 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $157.84. The stock had a trading volume of 186,408 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,215,847. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $143.78 and a 200-day moving average of $148.38. The firm has a market cap of $20.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.07, a PEG ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a current ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. Leidos has a fifty-two week low of $123.62 and a fifty-two week high of $202.90.

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 6th. The aerospace company reported $2.97 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.47 by $0.50. The company had revenue of $4.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.11 billion. Leidos had a return on equity of 30.93% and a net margin of 7.53%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.29 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that Leidos will post 10.62 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Gregory R. Dahlberg sold 1,250 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $154.55, for a total value of $193,187.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 20,195 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,121,137.25. The trade was a 5.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.96% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Leidos

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Private Advisor Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Leidos by 83.0% in the 4th quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 8,167 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $1,177,000 after purchasing an additional 3,703 shares in the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its position in shares of Leidos by 39.6% in the fourth quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 12,464 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $1,800,000 after acquiring an additional 3,534 shares in the last quarter. LGT Fund Management Co Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Leidos during the 4th quarter valued at $1,979,000. HM Payson & Co. boosted its position in Leidos by 959.8% during the 4th quarter. HM Payson & Co. now owns 2,374 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $342,000 after purchasing an additional 2,150 shares during the period. Finally, Teamwork Financial Advisors LLC raised its position in Leidos by 497.9% in the fourth quarter. Teamwork Financial Advisors LLC now owns 70,566 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $10,166,000 after purchasing an additional 58,763 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.12% of the company's stock.

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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