Leidos (LDOS) Competitors

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) and Booz Allen Hamilton (NYSE:BAH) are both large-cap it consulting & other services companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, earnings, risk, valuation, analyst recommendations, profitability, institutional ownership and media sentiment.

Does the media refer more to LDOS or BAH?

In the previous week, Booz Allen Hamilton had 8 more articles in the media than Leidos. MarketBeat recorded 25 mentions for Booz Allen Hamilton and 17 mentions for Leidos. Leidos' average media sentiment score of 1.10 beat Booz Allen Hamilton's score of 0.96 indicating that Leidos is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Leidos	12 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	4 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
Booz Allen Hamilton	16 Very Positive mention(s)	3 Positive mention(s)	6 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Is LDOS or BAH more profitable?

Leidos has a net margin of 7.87% compared to Booz Allen Hamilton's net margin of 7.81%. Booz Allen Hamilton's return on equity of 72.35% beat Leidos' return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Leidos	7.87%	32.62%	11.14%
Booz Allen Hamilton	7.81%	72.35%	11.77%

Which has higher valuation and earnings, LDOS or BAH?

Leidos has higher revenue and earnings than Booz Allen Hamilton. Booz Allen Hamilton is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Leidos, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Leidos	$16.66B	1.25	$1.25B	$9.94	16.30
Booz Allen Hamilton	$11.98B	1.11	$935M	$7.25	14.73

Do analysts rate LDOS or BAH?

Leidos presently has a consensus price target of $177.46, indicating a potential upside of 9.50%. Booz Allen Hamilton has a consensus price target of $134.64, indicating a potential upside of 26.09%. Given Booz Allen Hamilton's higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Booz Allen Hamilton is more favorable than Leidos.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Leidos	0 Sell rating(s)	7 Hold rating(s)	7 Buy rating(s)	1 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.60
Booz Allen Hamilton	2 Sell rating(s)	7 Hold rating(s)	2 Buy rating(s)	1 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.17

Do institutionals and insiders believe in LDOS or BAH?

76.1% of Leidos shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 91.8% of Booz Allen Hamilton shares are held by institutional investors. 1.0% of Leidos shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.9% of Booz Allen Hamilton shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Which has more risk and volatility, LDOS or BAH?

Leidos has a beta of 0.64, meaning that its share price is 36% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Booz Allen Hamilton has a beta of 0.48, meaning that its share price is 52% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Is LDOS or BAH a better dividend stock?

Leidos pays an annual dividend of $1.60 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.0%. Booz Allen Hamilton pays an annual dividend of $2.20 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.1%. Leidos pays out 16.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Booz Allen Hamilton pays out 30.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Leidos has increased its dividend for 6 consecutive years and Booz Allen Hamilton has increased its dividend for 14 consecutive years. Booz Allen Hamilton is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Summary

Leidos beats Booz Allen Hamilton on 12 of the 19 factors compared between the two stocks.