General Dynamics Corporation $GD Shares Purchased by Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio raised its stake in shares of General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD) by 4.8% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 113,301 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after acquiring an additional 5,204 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio’s holdings in General Dynamics were worth $38,887,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of GD. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of General Dynamics by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 24,767,330 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $8,338,169,000 after purchasing an additional 528,769 shares during the period. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in shares of General Dynamics by 2.7% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 11,323,170 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $3,812,058,000 after purchasing an additional 294,456 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in General Dynamics by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 6,065,462 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $2,039,742,000 after buying an additional 195,604 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in General Dynamics by 2.2% in the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 5,307,389 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $1,786,786,000 after buying an additional 114,647 shares during the period. Finally, Northern Trust Corp increased its stake in General Dynamics by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 3,443,453 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $1,159,273,000 after buying an additional 110,536 shares during the period. 86.14% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

General Dynamics Trading Up 1.2%

Shares of General Dynamics stock opened at $386.51 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $356.19 and a two-hundred day moving average of $351.77. General Dynamics Corporation has a 12-month low of $306.03 and a 12-month high of $388.12. The company has a current ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. The stock has a market cap of $104.52 billion, a PE ratio of 24.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.34.

General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The aerospace company reported $4.10 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.67 by $0.43. The business had revenue of $13.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.70 billion. General Dynamics had a return on equity of 17.41% and a net margin of 8.07%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $3.66 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that General Dynamics Corporation will post 16.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

General Dynamics Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 2nd will be given a dividend of $1.59 per share. This represents a $6.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 2nd. General Dynamics’s payout ratio is presently 40.03%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

GD has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. BNP Paribas Exane reduced their target price on shares of General Dynamics from $430.00 to $390.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price target on shares of General Dynamics from $387.00 to $377.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of General Dynamics from $410.00 to $435.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of General Dynamics from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, DA Davidson lowered their price objective on General Dynamics from $384.00 to $375.00 in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $391.15.

General Dynamics News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting General Dynamics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: GD has hit a 52-week high, reflecting strong momentum and investor confidence in the defense contractor’s outlook. General Dynamics Corporation (GD) Hit a 52 Week High, Can the Run Continue?
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are focusing on GD’s upcoming Q2 results, with attention on a record backlog and improving defense operations, which could support the stock if management delivers strong numbers and positive commentary on submarines and Gulfstream. General Dynamics to Release Q2 Earnings: Here’s What to Expect
• Positive Sentiment: Recent investor sentiment has also been helped by broader strength in defense stocks, with peers posting solid results and raising guidance, which has lifted expectations for GD ahead of its July 29 earnings release. Why General Dynamics (GD) Stock Is Up Today
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street is also watching GD’s Q2 estimates and key operating metrics closely, suggesting the market may be waiting for confirmation that recent strength is sustainable rather than purely speculative. General Dynamics (GD) Q2 Earnings on the Horizon: Analysts’ Insights on Key Performance Measures
• Neutral Sentiment: One article compared GD’s value profile with GE Aerospace, reinforcing that investors still see GD as a large-cap defense name with valuation appeal, but not necessarily a fresh catalyst by itself. GD vs. GE: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Mark Malcolm sold 5,480 shares of General Dynamics stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $365.00, for a total transaction of $2,000,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 10,643 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,884,695. The trade was a 33.99% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Mark Lagrand Burns sold 36,480 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $345.29, for a total transaction of $12,596,179.20. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 38,975 shares in the company, valued at $13,457,677.75. This represents a 48.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 78,190 shares of company stock worth $27,041,022. 1.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

General Dynamics Company Profile

General Dynamics is a major American aerospace and defense contractor that designs, manufactures and supports a broad range of products and services for government and commercial customers worldwide. Headquartered in the United States (Reston, Virginia), the company supplies platforms and systems used by armed forces, civil authorities and private operators across multiple domains including air, land, sea and cyber.

Its principal activities span several operating businesses: a business aviation unit that develops and supports Gulfstream business jets; land systems that produce armored combat vehicles and related logistics and sustainment services; marine systems that design and construct submarines and surface ships for navies; and mission systems and information technology operations that provide command-and-control, communications, cybersecurity and systems-integration services.