BAE Systems (LON:BA) Trading 1.3% Higher - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• BAE Systems shares rose 1.3% to GBX 1,923.50 in Friday trading, although the price remained below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages.
• Analysts maintain a broadly cautious outlook: the consensus rating is “Hold”, with a GBX 2,275 price target. JPMorgan raised its target to GBX 2,450 and rated the stock “overweight,” while other firms reiterated “hold” or “sector perform” ratings.
• The company reported quarterly EPS of GBX 38.90, with a 17.49% return on equity and 7.19% net margin. Insider John Pettigrew bought 7,000 shares at an average price of GBX 2,228.

BAE Systems plc (LON:BA - Get Free Report) rose 1.3% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as GBX 1,923.50 and last traded at GBX 1,923.50. Approximately 3,637,495 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, The stock had previously closed at GBX 1,898.50.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on BA. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a "sector perform" rating and issued a GBX 2,200 price objective on shares of BAE Systems in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of BAE Systems from GBX 2,400 to GBX 2,450 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price target on shares of BAE Systems from GBX 2,140 to GBX 2,325 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a "hold" rating and set a GBX 2,100 price target on shares of BAE Systems in a research report on Friday, July 31st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of GBX 2,275.

BAE Systems Price Performance

The stock's fifty day moving average price is GBX 2,036.14 and its 200-day moving average price is GBX 2,055.04. The firm has a market cap of £58.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.56, a P/E/G ratio of 3.33 and a beta of 0.01. The company has a current ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 73.96.

BAE Systems (LON:BA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported GBX 38.90 EPS for the quarter. BAE Systems had a return on equity of 17.49% and a net margin of 7.19%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that BAE Systems plc will post 73.537927 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other BAE Systems news, insider John Pettigrew bought 7,000 shares of BAE Systems stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were bought at an average price of GBX 2,228 per share, for a total transaction of £155,960. Insiders acquired a total of 7,030 shares of company stock valued at $15,652,410 in the last quarter. 0.14% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About BAE Systems

BAE Systems plc provides defense, aerospace, and security solutions worldwide. The company operates through five segments: Electronic Systems, Platforms & Services, Air, Maritime, and Cyber & Intelligence. The Electronic Systems segment offers electronic warfare systems, navigation systems, electro-optical sensors, military and commercial digital engine and flight controls, precision guidance and seeker solutions, military communication systems and data links, persistent surveillance capabilities, space electronics, and electric drive propulsion systems.

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