Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) Coverage Initiated by Analysts at Cantor Fitzgerald

Cantor Fitzgerald initiated coverage on shares of Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) in a research report report published on Friday, Marketbeat reports. The firm issued an overweight rating and a $185.00 price target on the aerospace company’s stock.

Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on Leidos from $180.00 to $218.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Barclays lifted their target price on Leidos from $165.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, November 4th. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of Leidos in a research report on Monday, December 2nd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $182.00 price target for the company. TD Cowen downgraded shares of Leidos from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $200.00 to $165.00 in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Leidos from $205.00 to $199.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Leidos has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $179.47.

Leidos Price Performance

NYSE LDOS opened at $142.34 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $18.99 billion, a PE ratio of 16.21, a P/E/G ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 0.66. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $149.74 and its 200-day moving average price is $157.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 1.23. Leidos has a 52-week low of $112.53 and a 52-week high of $202.90.

Leidos Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be paid a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.12%. Leidos’s payout ratio is presently 18.22%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Noel B. Geer bought 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 20th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $161.13 per share, for a total transaction of $322,260.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 2,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $322,260. This represents a ? increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.96% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Leidos

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Rakuten Securities Inc. lifted its position in Leidos by 1,460.0% during the third quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 156 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 146 shares during the period. Duncker Streett & Co. Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Leidos during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new position in shares of Leidos in the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Berbice Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Leidos in the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Northwest Investment Counselors LLC acquired a new stake in Leidos during the third quarter worth about $30,000. 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.