Victory Capital Management Inc. Raises Stock Holdings in Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS)

Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) by 0.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 4,923,663 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after buying an additional 39,174 shares during the quarter. Leidos accounts for about 0.6% of Victory Capital Management Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 12th biggest holding. Victory Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Leidos were worth $532,937,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in LDOS. Farmers & Merchants Trust Co of Chambersburg PA purchased a new stake in Leidos during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Lindbrook Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of Leidos by 209.0% in the fourth quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 275 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 186 shares in the last quarter. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. purchased a new stake in shares of Leidos during the third quarter worth $30,000. Friedenthal Financial purchased a new stake in Leidos during the 4th quarter worth about $43,000. Finally, Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in Leidos in the third quarter valued at approximately $49,000. 76.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Leidos Stock Performance

Leidos stock traded up $1.77 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $141.99. 552,936 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 861,907. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $128.08 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $114.53. Leidos Holdings, Inc. has a twelve month low of $76.58 and a twelve month high of $142.28. The firm has a market cap of $19.19 billion, a PE ratio of 98.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a current ratio of 1.34.

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 30th. The aerospace company reported $2.29 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.70 by $0.59. Leidos had a return on equity of 22.92% and a net margin of 1.29%. The business had revenue of $3.98 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.82 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.47 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 7.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that Leidos Holdings, Inc. will post 7.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Leidos Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 28th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 14th will be issued a $0.38 dividend. This represents a $1.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.07%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 14th. Leidos’s payout ratio is 107.04%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LDOS has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Leidos from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 14th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on shares of Leidos from $138.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Barclays raised shares of Leidos from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 5th. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Leidos from $125.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 27th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on Leidos from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 10th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $139.50.

Insider Transactions at Leidos

In other Leidos news, Director Gary Stephen May sold 2,745 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.49, for a total value of $341,725.05. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 11,352 shares in the company, valued at $1,413,210.48. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, Director David G. Fubini sold 7,874 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.89, for a total transaction of $1,007,005.86. Following the sale, the director now owns 14,696 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,879,471.44. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Gary Stephen May sold 2,745 shares of Leidos stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.49, for a total value of $341,725.05. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 11,352 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,413,210.48. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.96% of the company’s stock.

Leidos 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.