StockNews.com Upgrades Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) to Buy

Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) was upgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report released on Monday.

A number of other equities analysts also recently issued reports on LMT. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating on shares of Lockheed Martin in a report on Monday, March 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of Lockheed Martin from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and dropped their target price for the company from $611.00 to $523.00 in a research report on Thursday, January 2nd. Susquehanna reduced their price target on shares of Lockheed Martin from $590.00 to $550.00 and set a “positive” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 29th. Citigroup reduced their price objective on Lockheed Martin from $700.00 to $600.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada decreased their target price on shares of Lockheed Martin from $570.00 to $550.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $544.20.

Lockheed Martin Price Performance

Shares of NYSE LMT opened at $442.63 on Monday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $459.13 and its two-hundred day moving average is $512.63. The company has a market cap of $104.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.43. Lockheed Martin has a 1-year low of $419.70 and a 1-year high of $618.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.10, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 0.95.

Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, January 28th. The aerospace company reported $7.67 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.58 by $1.09. Lockheed Martin had a return on equity of 101.47% and a net margin of 7.51%. Analysts forecast that Lockheed Martin will post 27.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lockheed Martin

In other Lockheed Martin news, insider Robert M. Lightfoot, Jr. sold 3,213 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $442.42, for a total transaction of $1,421,495.46. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 2,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $884,840. This trade represents a 61.63 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP Harry Edward Paul III sold 707 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $442.61, for a total transaction of $312,925.27. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 2,278 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,008,265.58. This represents a 23.69 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 7,133 shares of company stock valued at $3,155,916. Insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lockheed Martin

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in LMT. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. purchased a new stake in shares of Lockheed Martin during the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Millstone Evans Group LLC purchased a new stake in Lockheed Martin during the fourth quarter valued at about $32,000. Mizuho Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Lockheed Martin during the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Heck Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lockheed Martin in the 4th quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, Redwood Park Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lockheed Martin in the 4th quarter valued at about $40,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.19% of the company’s stock.

About Lockheed Martin

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