Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) Shares Down 5.1% - Here's Why

Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS - Get Free Report)'s stock price was down 5.1% during trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $140.29 and last traded at $140.89. Approximately 1,408,394 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 13% from the average daily volume of 1,243,183 shares. The stock had previously closed at $148.52.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Cantor Fitzgerald raised Leidos to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. William Blair cut shares of Leidos from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Leidos from $173.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, May 8th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on shares of Leidos from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price objective on Leidos from $149.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $176.46.

Leidos Stock Performance

The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $146.39 and a 200 day moving average price of $145.66. The stock has a market cap of $18.60 billion, a PE ratio of 15.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91.

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The aerospace company reported $2.97 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.47 by $0.50. The firm had revenue of $4.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.11 billion. Leidos had a net margin of 7.53% and a return on equity of 30.93%. The company's revenue was up 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.29 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Leidos Holdings, Inc. will post 10.62 earnings per share for the current year.

Leidos Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 16th will be issued a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 16th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.11%. Leidos's dividend payout ratio is presently 16.10%.

Insider Activity at Leidos

In other Leidos news, Director Gregory R. Dahlberg sold 1,250 shares of the company'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 transaction of $193,187.50. Following the transaction, the director now owns 20,195 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,121,137.25. This represents a 5.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.96% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of LDOS. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Leidos by 4.8% in the 4th quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,680 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $242,000 after purchasing an additional 77 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Leidos by 20.4% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 454 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $65,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares during the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Leidos by 9.1% during the 1st quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 968 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $131,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Groupe la Francaise raised its stake in shares of Leidos by 6.2% in the 1st quarter. Groupe la Francaise now owns 1,566 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $212,000 after acquiring an additional 91 shares during the period. Finally, Resolute Wealth Strategies LLC boosted its position in shares of Leidos by 1.9% during the first quarter. Resolute Wealth Strategies LLC now owns 5,134 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $693,000 after buying an additional 97 shares during the period. 76.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other 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.