Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT) Receives Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT - Get Free Report) has received a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the seventeen ratings firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $541.80.

LMT has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Melius Research cut Lockheed Martin from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, March 24th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Lockheed Martin from $476.00 to $432.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 8th. Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Lockheed Martin from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $575.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Lockheed Martin from $481.00 to $499.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Finally, Melius lowered shares of Lockheed Martin from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, March 24th.

Lockheed Martin Price Performance

LMT stock opened at $462.82 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $108.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.99, a P/E/G ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.79, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 0.91. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $470.96 and a 200 day simple moving average of $466.07. Lockheed Martin has a 1 year low of $418.88 and a 1 year high of $618.95.

Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 22nd. The aerospace company reported $7.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.34 by $0.94. Lockheed Martin had a net margin of 7.66% and a return on equity of 104.09%. The company had revenue of $17.96 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.83 billion. Research analysts anticipate that Lockheed Martin will post 27.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lockheed Martin Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 26th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 2nd will be given a dividend of $3.30 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 2nd. This represents a $13.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.85%. Lockheed Martin's dividend payout ratio is presently 57.02%.

Institutional Trading of Lockheed Martin

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. First American Bank boosted its stake in Lockheed Martin by 18.8% in the 1st quarter. First American Bank now owns 8,393 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $3,749,000 after purchasing an additional 1,327 shares during the period. Aquatic Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lockheed Martin in the fourth quarter worth about $33,294,000. State of Wyoming boosted its position in shares of Lockheed Martin by 93.9% in the fourth quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 1,113 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $541,000 after acquiring an additional 539 shares during the period. Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors L.P. grew its stake in Lockheed Martin by 18.6% during the first quarter. Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors L.P. now owns 17,129 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $7,652,000 after acquiring an additional 2,686 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Treasurer of the State of North Carolina grew its stake in Lockheed Martin by 3.9% during the fourth quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 102,674 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $49,893,000 after acquiring an additional 3,809 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.19% of the company's stock.

About Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin Corporation, a security and aerospace company, engages in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of technology systems, products, and services worldwide. The company operates through Aeronautics, Missiles and Fire Control, Rotary and Mission Systems, and Space segments.

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