Lockheed Martin Co. (NYSE:LMT – Get Rating) has received a consensus “Hold” recommendation from the sixteen brokerages that currently cover the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Six research analysts rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five gave the company a buy recommendation. The 12-month average target price among brokers who have hedged the stock over the past year is $448.92.

Several research analysts commented on the title. Morgan Stanley lowered its price target on Lockheed Martin shares from $525.00 to $522.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a Wednesday, July 20 report. Royal Bank of Canada began covering Lockheed Martin shares in a research report on Monday, August 29. They set an “industry performance” rating and a price target of $460.00 on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced its price target on Lockheed Martin from $496.00 to $406.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a Wednesday, July 20 research report.

Lockheed Martin down 1.0%

Lockheed Martin shares opened Monday at $418.57. The company has a market cap of $110.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.22, a growth price-to-earnings ratio of 2.87, and a beta of 0.66. Lockheed Martin has a 1-year low of $324.23 and a 1-year high of $479.99. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $420.14 and its two-hundred-day moving average price is $430.70. The company has a debt ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.27.

Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT – Get Rating) last released its results on Tuesday, July 19. The aerospace company reported earnings per share (EPS) of $1.16 for the quarter, missing analyst consensus estimates of $6.39 per ($5.23). Lockheed Martin had a return on equity of 69.02% and a net margin of 7.33%. The company posted revenue of $15.45 billion in the quarter, versus analyst estimates of $16.02 billion. In the same quarter of the previous year, the company had earned earnings per share of $7.13. The company’s revenues were down 9.3% from the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that Lockheed Martin will post an EPS of 26.8 for the current fiscal year.

Lockheed Martin announces dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 23. Investors of record on Thursday, September 1 will receive a dividend of $2.80. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 31. This represents a dividend of $11.20 on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.68%. Lockheed Martin’s dividend payout ratio is currently 64.81%.

Insider activity at Lockheed Martin

In other Lockheed Martin news, Director John Donovan purchased 632 shares of the company in a trade dated Wednesday, July 20. The shares were purchased at an average price of $396.16 per share, for a total transaction of $250,373.12. As a result of the purchase, the administrator now directly owns 1,200 shares of the company, valued at approximately $475,392. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Separately, director John Donovan purchased 632 shares of Lockheed Martin in a trade that took place on Wednesday, July 20. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $396.16 per share, for a total transaction of $250,373.12. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 1,200 shares of the company, valued at $475,392. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, available on the SEC’s website. Additionally, Executive Vice President Gregory M. Ulmer sold 6,929 shares of the company in a trade that took place on Wednesday, August 3. The stock was sold at an average price of $423.87, for a total value of $2,936,995.23. The disclosure of this sale can be found here. Insiders hold 0.17% of the company’s shares.

Institutional entries and exits

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently been buying and selling shares of the company. Davis RM Inc. acquired a new position in Lockheed Martin stock during the first quarter worth approximately $522,000. Dumont & Blake Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Lockheed Martin during Q1 worth $262,000. City State Bank bought a new stake in Lockheed Martin in the 4th quarter at a value of $643,000. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC increased its position in Lockheed Martin by 710.8% in Q1. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 13,532 shares of the aerospace company worth $5,973,000 after buying 11,863 additional shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Capital Wealth Advisors bought a new position in Lockheed Martin stock during Q1 for a value of approximately $462,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds hold 75.50% of the company’s shares.

About Lockheed Martin

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Lockheed Martin Corporation, a security and aerospace company, engages in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and maintenance of technology systems, products and services worldwide. It operates through four segments: Aerospace, Missiles and Fire Control, Rotary and Mission Systems, and Space.

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