General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) Announces FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 17.200-17.300 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 17.000. The company issued revenue guidance of $56.5 billion-$56.8 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $55.9 billion.

General Dynamics Price Performance

NYSE:GD opened at $371.74 on Tuesday. General Dynamics has a 12-month low of $306.77 and a 12-month high of $400.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $100.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.86, a P/E/G ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.33. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $351.22 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $355.11. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23.

General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) last issued its earnings results on Friday, October 30th. The aerospace company reported $4.49 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.12 by $0.37. The company had revenue of $14.57 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $13.72 billion. General Dynamics had a return on equity of 17.43% and a net margin of 8.18%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.88 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that General Dynamics will post 16.99 earnings per share for the current year.

General Dynamics Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 9th will be issued a $1.59 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 9th. This represents a $6.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.7%. General Dynamics’s payout ratio is currently 37.41%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. BNP Paribas Exane increased their price target on General Dynamics from $390.00 to $430.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on General Dynamics from $400.00 to $440.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $455.00 target price on shares of General Dynamics in a research report on Monday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “hold” rating and set a $384.00 target price on shares of General Dynamics in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of General Dynamics from $435.00 to $465.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $406.94.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other General Dynamics news, Director Robert K. Steel sold 7,440 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $346.05, for a total transaction of $2,574,612.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 3,096 shares in the company, valued at $1,071,370.80. This represents a 70.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 1.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

General Dynamics News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Raised FY 2026 outlook: General Dynamics now expects earnings per share of $17.20-$17.30, above the $17.00 consensus estimate, and revenue of $56.5-$56.8 billion versus the $55.9 billion consensus. The upgrade signals management’s confidence in demand and execution.
• Positive Sentiment: Strong third-quarter performance: Revenue increased 12.9% year over year to $14.57 billion, while EPS of $4.49 exceeded the $4.12 consensus estimate. Growth was broad-based across Aerospace, Marine Systems, Combat Systems and Technologies, supported by order activity and productivity improvements. General Dynamics Q3 earnings call: our top 5 analyst questions
• Positive Sentiment: Record backlog improves visibility: Backlog reportedly reached approximately $220.3 billion, nearly doubling on major submarine awards. Robust defense demand and planned Gulfstream expansion provide a foundation for sustained future growth. General Dynamics Nuclear Submarine Awards Drive Q3 Backlog to Record High
• Positive Sentiment: Additional program award: General Dynamics Mission Systems received a contract modification to advance the MEDUSA program, adding to evidence of continuing government demand for the company’s defense technologies. General Dynamics Mission Systems Awarded Contract Modification to Advance MEDUSA
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst targets increased but ratings remain cautious: Citigroup and RBC raised their price targets to $400, but retained neutral and sector-perform ratings. BTIG also maintained a Hold rating, citing execution risks despite the record backlog and improved outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: Execution and valuation risks: Delivering the large backlog—particularly submarine and shipbuilding programs—could pressure margins or cash flow if schedules slip. With GD near its one-year high and trading at roughly 22 times earnings, some of the improved outlook may already be reflected in the share price.

General Dynamics Company Profile

General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE: GD) is a global aerospace and defense company that develops, manufactures and supports products and services for government and commercial customers. Its operations serve the U.S. government, allied nations and other customers worldwide, with a significant focus on national security, military modernization and mission support.

The company operates through four primary business areas. Aerospace provides Gulfstream business jets and related aircraft services through Gulfstream Aerospace, as well as aircraft management, charter, maintenance and completions services through Jet Aviation.