Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) Stock Price Down 7.2% – Time to Sell?

Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS)’s share price was down 7.2% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $156.53 and last traded at $149.43. Approximately 98,325 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 91% from the average daily volume of 1,087,214 shares. The stock had previously closed at $161.11.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently commented on LDOS. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Leidos from $175.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded shares of Leidos from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and dropped their price target for the company from $228.00 to $153.00 in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on Leidos from $180.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Barclays lifted their price objective on Leidos from $165.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, November 4th. Finally, UBS Group began coverage on Leidos in a report on Monday, December 2nd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $182.00 target price on the stock. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Leidos presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $179.07.

Leidos Stock Performance

The company has a fifty day moving average price of $154.24 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $158.22. The company has a market capitalization of $19.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.63, a PEG ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 1.23 and a quick ratio of 1.15.

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 29th. The aerospace company reported $2.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.96 by $0.97. The firm had revenue of $4.19 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.06 billion. Leidos had a net margin of 7.37% and a return on equity of 30.31%. The company’s revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.03 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Leidos Holdings, Inc. will post 10.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Robert C. Kovarik, Jr. sold 1,047 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $184.94, for a total value of $193,632.18. Following the transaction, the director now owns 6,408 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,185,095.52. The trade was a 14.04 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Noel B. Geer acquired 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 20th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $161.13 per share, with a total value of $322,260.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 2,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $322,260. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.96% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Leidos

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Fiduciary Trust Co lifted its stake in shares of Leidos by 36.4% in the 3rd quarter. Fiduciary Trust Co now owns 23,941 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $3,902,000 after purchasing an additional 6,395 shares during the period. Atria Investments Inc increased its holdings in Leidos by 100.1% in the third quarter. Atria Investments Inc now owns 8,837 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $1,440,000 after purchasing an additional 4,421 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its stake in Leidos by 51.2% in the third quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 837,370 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $136,491,000 after buying an additional 283,558 shares during the period. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Leidos by 21.4% during the 3rd quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 55,165 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $8,992,000 after buying an additional 9,710 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of Leidos during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $4,622,000. Institutional investors own 76.12% of the company’s stock.

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.