Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) Trading 2.6% Higher - Time to Buy?

Lockheed Martin Co. (NYSE:LMT - Get Free Report)'s share price was up 2.6% on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $462.19 and last traded at $460.70. Approximately 481,195 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 62% from the average daily volume of 1,277,608 shares. The stock had previously closed at $449.18.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently commented on the stock. Baird R W upgraded shares of Lockheed Martin from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Robert W. Baird upgraded shares of Lockheed Martin from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $540.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 23rd. Melius Research lowered shares of Lockheed Martin from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, March 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Lockheed Martin from $540.00 to $535.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised Lockheed Martin from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $575.00 price target for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 16th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $541.80.

Lockheed Martin Stock Up 2.6%

The company has a quick ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.10. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $461.53 and a 200 day simple moving average of $481.21. The stock has a market cap of $108.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.71, a PEG ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.29.

Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 22nd. The aerospace company reported $7.28 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $6.34 by $0.94. Lockheed Martin had a return on equity of 101.47% and a net margin of 7.51%. The firm had revenue of $17.96 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $17.83 billion. As a group, analysts expect that Lockheed Martin Co. will post 27.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lockheed Martin Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 27th. Investors of record on Monday, June 2nd will be issued a $3.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 2nd. This represents a $13.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.86%. Lockheed Martin's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 57.02%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lockheed Martin

In other news, VP Harry Edward Paul III sold 707 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $442.61, for a total transaction of $312,925.27. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 2,278 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,008,265.58. This represents a 23.69% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Robert M. Lightfoot, Jr. sold 3,213 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $442.42, for a total transaction of $1,421,495.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 2,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at $884,840. This represents a 61.63% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 7,133 shares of company stock worth $3,155,916. Insiders own 0.14% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. TruNorth Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lockheed Martin during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Millstone Evans Group LLC bought a new position in Lockheed Martin during the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. Mizuho Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Lockheed Martin in the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. Heck Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in Lockheed Martin in the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, Redwood Park Advisors LLC bought a new position in Lockheed Martin in the 4th quarter valued at $40,000. Hedge funds and other 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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