Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) Short Interest Up 28.2% in November

Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) saw a large growth in short interest in November. As of November 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,910,000 shares, a growth of 28.2% from the October 31st total of 1,490,000 shares. Approximately 1.5% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 1,080,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.8 days.

Leidos Trading Up 0.9 %

Shares of Leidos stock opened at $165.40 on Monday. 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 firm has a 50-day moving average of $171.29 and a 200-day moving average of $156.94. Leidos has a 52-week low of $105.52 and a 52-week high of $202.90. The stock has a market cap of $22.07 billion, a PE ratio of 18.84, a PEG ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 0.68.

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 29th. The aerospace company reported $2.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.96 by $0.97. Leidos had a net margin of 7.37% and a return on equity of 30.31%. The firm had revenue of $4.19 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.06 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.03 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Leidos will post 10.04 EPS for the current year.

Leidos Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.97%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 16th. This is a positive change from Leidos’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.38. Leidos’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 17.31%.

Insider Transactions at Leidos

In related news, Director Noel B. Geer purchased 2,000 shares of Leidos stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 20th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $161.13 per share, with a total value of $322,260.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 2,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $322,260. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Robert C. Kovarik, Jr. sold 1,047 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $184.94, for a total value of $193,632.18. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 6,408 shares in the company, valued at $1,185,095.52. This trade represents a 14.04 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.96% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Leidos

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Rakuten Securities Inc. increased its position in shares of Leidos by 1,460.0% in the third quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 156 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 146 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Leidos during the third quarter worth about $29,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC bought a new position in Leidos in the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. 1832 Asset Management L.P. acquired a new position in shares of Leidos in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 201 shares during the period. 76.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

LDOS has been the topic of several analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Leidos from $175.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price 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. Barclays lifted their price target on Leidos from $165.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, November 4th. Bank of America upped their price objective on Leidos from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on Leidos from $145.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Leidos presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $187.36.

Leidos Company 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.