Bayesian Capital Management LP Acquires New Holdings in Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS)

Bayesian Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 9,500 shares of the aerospace company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,245,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of LDOS. Farmers & Merchants Trust Co of Chambersburg PA purchased a new position in Leidos in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Lindbrook Capital LLC lifted its position in Leidos by 209.0% during the fourth quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 275 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 186 shares during the period. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. acquired a new position in Leidos during the fourth quarter valued at $35,000. Tidemark LLC acquired a new position in Leidos during the fourth quarter valued at $41,000. Finally, Friedenthal Financial acquired a new position in Leidos during the fourth quarter valued at $43,000. 76.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Leidos

In related news, insider Roy E. Stevens sold 875 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.67, for a total value of $131,836.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 44,149 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,651,929.83. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.96% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Leidos Stock Performance

Shares of LDOS stock opened at $147.54 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $147.46 and its 200-day moving average price is $134.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a current ratio of 1.35. Leidos Holdings, Inc. has a one year low of $89.22 and a one year high of $155.45. The firm has a market cap of $19.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 62.94, a P/E/G ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.68.

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The aerospace company reported $2.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.27 by $0.36. The company had revenue of $4.13 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.06 billion. Leidos had a net margin of 2.04% and a return on equity of 25.66%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.80 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Leidos Holdings, Inc. will post 8.75 EPS for the current year.

Leidos Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 27th. Investors of record on Friday, September 13th will be issued a $0.38 dividend. This represents a $1.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.03%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 13th. Leidos’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 65.52%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently issued reports on LDOS. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of Leidos from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 10th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Leidos from $137.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 4th. Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on shares of Leidos from $145.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 1st. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Leidos from $120.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 1st. Finally, Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Leidos from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, May 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Leidos presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $149.83.

About Leidos

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.