Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) Trading 0.9% Higher - Still a Buy?

Shares of Lockheed Martin Co. (NYSE:LMT - Get Free Report) rose 0.9% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $478.06 and last traded at $475.35. Approximately 236,719 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 81% from the average daily volume of 1,258,350 shares. The stock had previously closed at $471.32.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LMT has been the subject of several recent research reports. Melius Research downgraded Lockheed Martin from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, March 24th. Morgan Stanley upgraded Lockheed Martin from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $575.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of Lockheed Martin from $700.00 to $600.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Melius downgraded shares of Lockheed Martin from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, March 24th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Lockheed Martin from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 3rd. Nine research 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $541.80.

Lockheed Martin Stock Down 0.2 %

The stock has a market cap of $110.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.28, a PEG ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.29. 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 fifty day moving average of $461.84 and a two-hundred day moving average of $482.78.

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

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Robert M. Lightfoot, Jr. sold 3,213 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $442.42, for a total transaction of $1,421,495.46. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 2,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $884,840. The trade was a 61.63 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Harry Edward Paul III sold 707 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $442.61, for a total transaction of $312,925.27. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 2,278 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,008,265.58. This trade represents a 23.69 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 7,133 shares of company stock valued at $3,155,916. Company insiders own 0.14% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lockheed Martin

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Lockheed Martin by 4.0% in the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 270,879 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $158,345,000 after acquiring an additional 10,358 shares in the last quarter. ORG Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Lockheed Martin by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 3,030 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $1,479,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in shares of Lockheed Martin by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 163,150 shares of the aerospace company's stock valued at $79,281,000 after buying an additional 973 shares during the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of Lockheed Martin by 3.3% during the fourth quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 6,126 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $2,977,000 after buying an additional 193 shares in the last quarter. Finally, LVM Capital Management Ltd. MI increased its stake in shares of Lockheed Martin by 2.5% in the fourth quarter. LVM Capital Management Ltd. MI now owns 34,363 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $16,698,000 after buying an additional 832 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.