Generali Asset Management SPA SGR Takes $113,000 Position in Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS)

Generali Asset Management SPA SGR acquired a new stake in shares of Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor acquired 786 shares of the aerospace company’s stock, valued at approximately $113,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in LDOS. Duncker Streett & Co. Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Leidos during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Berbice Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Leidos in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Mather Group LLC. boosted its stake in shares of Leidos by 143.1% in the fourth quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 265 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 156 shares during the period. Human Investing LLC purchased a new position in shares of Leidos in the fourth quarter valued at $52,000. Finally, Vision Financial Markets LLC purchased a new position in shares of Leidos in the fourth quarter valued at $57,000. 76.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on LDOS shares. UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of Leidos from $162.00 to $156.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Leidos from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 8th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Leidos from $197.00 to $191.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut shares of Leidos from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their price target for the company from $228.00 to $153.00 in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald raised shares of Leidos to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $178.07.

Leidos Stock Down 0.9 %

Shares of NYSE:LDOS opened at $133.66 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $17.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.72. Leidos Holdings, Inc. has a 1-year low of $123.23 and a 1-year high of $202.90. The company’s fifty day moving average is $139.37 and its two-hundred day moving average is $154.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 1.21.

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The aerospace company reported $2.37 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.24 by $0.13. Leidos had a net margin of 7.53% and a return on equity of 30.93%. Equities analysts anticipate that Leidos Holdings, Inc. will post 10.62 EPS for the current year.

Leidos Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th will be issued a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.20%. Leidos’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 17.32%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Gary Stephen May sold 2,128 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.24, for a total value of $279,278.72. Following the sale, the director now owns 11,264 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,478,287.36. This trade represents a 15.89 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Robert C. Kovarik, Jr. sold 1,511 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $134.56, for a total transaction of $203,320.16. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 6,408 shares in the company, valued at approximately $862,260.48. This trade represents a 19.08 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.96% of the company’s stock.

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.