Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) Sets New 12-Month High After Dividend Announcement

Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS - Get Free Report)'s share price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday after the company announced a dividend. The company traded as high as $131.78 and last traded at $131.14, with a volume of 56564 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $130.36.

The newly announced dividend which will be paid on Friday, June 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 14th will be given a dividend of $0.38 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 14th. This represents a $1.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.15%. Leidos's payout ratio is 107.04%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on LDOS. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on shares of Leidos from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 14th. TheStreet upgraded shares of Leidos from a "c" rating to a "b" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 13th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on Leidos from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 10th. Barclays raised Leidos from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, January 5th. Finally, Argus raised their price target on Leidos from $120.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 20th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $132.42.

Leidos Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $17.79 billion, a PE ratio of 92.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a quick ratio of 1.24, a current ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $127.59 and its 200 day simple moving average is $113.95.

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 13th. The aerospace company reported $1.99 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.74 by $0.25. The company had revenue of $3.98 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.81 billion. Leidos had a net margin of 1.29% and a return on equity of 22.92%. The firm's revenue was up 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.83 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Leidos Holdings, Inc. will post 7.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other Leidos news, Director Gary Stephen May sold 2,745 shares of Leidos stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.49, for a total transaction of $341,725.05. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 11,352 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,413,210.48. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, Director Gary Stephen May sold 2,745 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.49, for a total value of $341,725.05. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 11,352 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,413,210.48. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director David G. Fubini sold 7,874 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.89, for a total value of $1,007,005.86. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 14,696 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,879,471.44. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.96% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Leidos

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Farmers & Merchants Trust Co of Chambersburg PA purchased a new position in shares of Leidos in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. purchased a new stake in shares of Leidos during the third quarter valued at $30,000. Lindbrook Capital LLC raised its stake in Leidos by 209.0% in the 4th quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 275 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 186 shares during the last quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. purchased a new stake in Leidos during the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. Finally, Tidemark LLC acquired a new position in shares of Leidos in the fourth quarter valued at about $41,000. 76.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.