Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) Stake Raised by Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio grew its holdings in shares of Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) by 11.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 69,504 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after purchasing an additional 7,413 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio’s holdings in Leidos were worth $11,329,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Rakuten Securities Inc. increased its stake in Leidos by 1,460.0% in the 3rd quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 156 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 146 shares in the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Leidos in the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Leidos during the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. 1832 Asset Management L.P. acquired a new position in Leidos in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in Leidos by 251.3% during the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 281 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 201 shares in the last quarter. 76.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Leidos Stock Performance

LDOS opened at $153.55 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 1.23. The company has a market cap of $20.49 billion, a PE ratio of 17.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 0.64. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $171.43 and a 200-day moving average of $157.57. Leidos Holdings, Inc. has a 52-week low of $105.52 and a 52-week high of $202.90.

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, October 29th. The aerospace company reported $2.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.96 by $0.97. Leidos had a return on equity of 30.31% and a net margin of 7.37%. The firm had revenue of $4.19 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.06 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.03 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Leidos Holdings, Inc. will post 10.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Leidos Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.04%. This is a boost from Leidos’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.38. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 16th. Leidos’s dividend payout ratio is 18.22%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on LDOS shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Leidos from $175.00 to $185.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 2nd. Truist Financial reduced their price target on shares of Leidos from $205.00 to $185.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. UBS Group began coverage on shares of Leidos in a research report on Monday, December 2nd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $182.00 price objective on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on shares of Leidos from $205.00 to $228.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of Leidos from $230.00 to $205.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 26th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Leidos has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $187.36.

Insider Activity

In other Leidos news, Director Robert C. Kovarik, Jr. sold 1,047 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $184.94, for a total value of $193,632.18. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 6,408 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,185,095.52. This represents a 14.04 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Noel B. Geer acquired 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 20th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $161.13 per share, with a total value of $322,260.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 2,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $322,260. The trade was a ∞ increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.96% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Leidos Profile

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.