Susquehanna Raises General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) Price Target to $455.00

Key Points

• Susquehanna raised General Dynamics’ price target to $455 from $420 and maintained a positive rating, implying approximately 19.7% upside from the prior close. The stock has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average target of $402.11.
• General Dynamics reported strong quarterly results, with revenue up 8.1% year over year to $14.09 billion and EPS of $4.24, beating estimates of $3.96. The company reaffirmed fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $16.80-$16.90.
• Insiders sold shares worth about $27 million over the past 90 days, while institutional investors own 86.14% of the company. GD traded near $380, with its 52-week range spanning $306.03 to $400.00.

General Dynamics (NYSE:GD - Get Free Report) had its price target raised by analysts at Susquehanna from $420.00 to $455.00 in a report released on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a "positive" rating on the aerospace company's stock. Susquehanna's target price points to a potential upside of 19.73% from the company's previous close.

GD has been the topic of several other reports. DA Davidson reduced their target price on General Dynamics from $384.00 to $375.00 in a report on Thursday, April 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of General Dynamics from $385.00 to $400.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Robert W. Baird set a $430.00 price objective on shares of General Dynamics in a research note on Thursday. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of General Dynamics from $435.00 to $465.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, UBS Group raised General Dynamics from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $402.11.

General Dynamics Price Performance

Shares of GD traded down $0.93 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $380.03. The company had a trading volume of 606,538 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,356,642. General Dynamics has a twelve month low of $306.03 and a twelve month high of $400.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 1.38 and a quick ratio of 0.90. The company's 50-day moving average is $359.03 and its 200-day moving average is $352.49. The company has a market capitalization of $102.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.95, a P/E/G ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.34.

General Dynamics (NYSE:GD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The aerospace company reported $4.24 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.96 by $0.28. General Dynamics had a return on equity of 17.41% and a net margin of 8.07%.The firm had revenue of $14.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $13.52 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $3.74 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. General Dynamics has set its FY 2026 guidance at 16.800-16.900 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that General Dynamics will post 16.66 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Mark Lagrand Burns sold 36,480 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $345.29, for a total transaction of $12,596,179.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 38,975 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $13,457,677.75. This trade represents a 48.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Mark Malcolm sold 5,480 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $365.00, for a total transaction of $2,000,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 10,643 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,884,695. This represents a 33.99% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 78,190 shares of company stock worth $27,041,022. Insiders own 1.40% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On General Dynamics

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Whipplewood Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of General Dynamics by 1,725.0% during the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 73 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares in the last quarter. Steph & Co. grew its stake in General Dynamics by 65.2% during the fourth quarter. Steph & Co. now owns 76 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Scarborough Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of General Dynamics during the 1st quarter worth approximately $29,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC lifted its stake in General Dynamics by 79.6% during the first quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC now owns 88 shares of the aerospace company's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Motiv8 Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of General Dynamics in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.14% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting General Dynamics

Here are the key news stories impacting General Dynamics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong Q2 earnings and guidance: General Dynamics reported second-quarter revenue of $14.1 billion, up 8.1% year over year, and diluted EPS of $4.24, exceeding consensus estimates near $3.96. All four business segments grew, while operating margin expanded to 10.4%. The company raised or reaffirmed above-consensus 2026 guidance of $16.80-$16.90 EPS and approximately $55.7 billion in revenue. General Dynamics Reports Second-Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Record submarine contract boosts visibility: General Dynamics Electric Boat received a $76.6 billion U.S. Navy award covering five Columbia-class and nine Virginia-class submarines, plus shipyard infrastructure support. The multidecade program materially strengthens backlog and provides long-term revenue and cash-flow visibility. General Dynamics Electric Boat awarded construction contracts for 14 submarines
• Positive Sentiment: Demand and cash generation remain healthy: Quarterly orders reached $20 billion, producing a 1.4-to-1 book-to-bill ratio and a record $136.5 billion backlog. Operating cash flow was $1.9 billion, supporting dividends and investment. General Dynamics Q2 revenue rises 8.1%
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation is still debated: A discounted-cash-flow analysis cited in recent coverage suggests GD may remain below estimated intrinsic value, but the stock’s roughly 116% five-year return and trading near its annual high raise the possibility that much of the positive news is already reflected in the shares. Is General Dynamics Reasonable After Its $76.6B Submarine Win?
• Negative Sentiment: Investors remain cautious about execution: Supply-chain constraints, margin pressure, and limited visibility into future U.S. defense spending temper the bullish earnings and backlog story. William Blair maintained a Hold rating, which may encourage profit-taking after the recent rally. Balanced View on General Dynamics

About General Dynamics

General Dynamics is a major American aerospace and defense contractor that designs, manufactures and supports a broad range of products and services for government and commercial customers worldwide. Headquartered in the United States (Reston, Virginia), the company supplies platforms and systems used by armed forces, civil authorities and private operators across multiple domains including air, land, sea and cyber.

Its principal activities span several operating businesses: a business aviation unit that develops and supports Gulfstream business jets; land systems that produce armored combat vehicles and related logistics and sustainment services; marine systems that design and construct submarines and surface ships for navies; and mission systems and information technology operations that provide command-and-control, communications, cybersecurity and systems-integration services.

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