Elbit Systems (NASDAQ:ESLT) Reaches New 52-Week High – Should You Buy?

Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ:ESLT) shares reached a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $739.02 and last traded at $735.1740, with a volume of 1630 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $729.88.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Elbit Systems in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Elbit Systems from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Elbit Systems from $530.00 to $580.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on shares of Elbit Systems in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $531.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of Elbit Systems from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 12th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Elbit Systems has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $550.33.

Elbit Systems Stock Down 0.5%

The company has a market cap of $32.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 74.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a current ratio of 1.32. The business’s fifty day moving average is $580.21 and its two-hundred day moving average is $514.92.

Elbit Systems (NASDAQ:ESLT) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, November 18th. The aerospace company reported $3.35 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.75 by $0.60. Elbit Systems had a net margin of 5.91% and a return on equity of 15.04%. The business had revenue of $1.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.99 billion. Equities analysts predict that Elbit Systems Ltd. will post 8.05 EPS for the current year.

Elbit Systems Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, January 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 22nd were given a dividend of $0.75 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 22nd. This represents a $3.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. Elbit Systems’s payout ratio is 22.87%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Elbit Systems

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. CoreCap Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Elbit Systems in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. USA Financial Formulas purchased a new position in Elbit Systems during the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Activest Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of Elbit Systems in the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. Traub Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Elbit Systems in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Financial Consulate Inc. bought a new position in shares of Elbit Systems during the third quarter valued at approximately $60,000. Institutional investors own 17.88% of the company’s stock.

About Elbit Systems

Elbit Systems Ltd. is an Israel-based defense electronics company that designs, develops and supplies a broad range of systems for military, homeland security and commercial aviation customers. The company focuses on integrated, platform-level solutions that combine sensors, communications, command-and-control software and weapons integration to support intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), force protection and mission management.

Its product and service portfolio spans unmanned aircraft systems, electro-optic and signal intelligence systems, electronic warfare and communications equipment, avionics and mission systems for military and commercial aircraft, and land and naval systems.