13,400 Leidos Holdings, Inc. $LDOS Shares Sold by VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al reduced its position in shares of Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) by 12.3% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 95,250 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after selling 13,400 shares during the period. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al’s holdings in Leidos were worth $11,604,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Partners Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Leidos in the third quarter worth $237,000. Soltis Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Leidos during the third quarter worth about $233,000. Childress Capital Advisors LLC grew its position in Leidos by 51.0% during the third quarter. Childress Capital Advisors LLC now owns 3,143 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $383,000 after buying an additional 1,062 shares in the last quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. purchased a new position in Leidos during the third quarter worth about $235,000. Finally, Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. increased its stake in Leidos by 82.6% in the 3rd quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 451 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $55,000 after acquiring an additional 204 shares during the last quarter. 76.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings raised Leidos from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Thursday, October 22nd. UBS Group lifted their price target on Leidos from $124.00 to $138.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered Leidos from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $160.00 to $142.00 in a report on Thursday, October 8th. TD Cowen decreased their price objective on shares of Leidos from $135.00 to $130.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Leidos from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $150.85.

Leidos Stock Up 1.3%

Shares of NYSE:LDOS opened at $142.81 on Friday. Leidos Holdings, Inc. has a 52-week low of $98.86 and a 52-week high of $205.77. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $129.33 and a 200 day moving average of $141.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $17.92 billion, a PE ratio of 13.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 1.60 and a current ratio of 1.63.

Leidos (NYSE:LDOS) last released its earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The aerospace company reported $3.26 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.91 by $0.35. Leidos had a return on equity of 30.81% and a net margin of 7.80%. The business had revenue of $4.56 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.44 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.21 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 7.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Leidos Holdings, Inc. will post 12.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Leidos declared that its board has approved a stock repurchase program on Friday, July 31st that allows the company to buy back 20,000,000 shares. This buyback authorization allows the aerospace company to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Share buyback programs are generally an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Noel B. Geer sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $140.66, for a total value of $1,406,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 34,274 shares in the company, valued at $4,820,980.84. The trade was a 22.59% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Gary May sold 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $140.85, for a total value of $140,850.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 10,204 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,437,233.40. The trade was a 8.93% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.77% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Leidos News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Leidos this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Leidos reportedly secured additional Pentagon contracts, reinforcing the company’s defense and government-services backlog. The accompanying analysis said fair value remains higher, suggesting potential upside. Leidos Holdings Lands Pentagon Deals
• Positive Sentiment: The board raised Leidos’ quarterly cash dividend 4.7% to $0.45 per share from $0.43, supporting the stock’s income appeal and signaling confidence in cash generation. Leidos Increases Quarterly Cash Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: RBC Capital assigned Leidos a Buy rating, while the average analyst price target was reported at $150.85—above the roughly $143 trading level—providing a positive valuation signal. Leidos Gets a Buy from RBC Capital Leidos Average Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: The stock crossed above its 200-day moving average, a technical development that can attract momentum-oriented buyers and improve market sentiment. Leidos Crosses Above 200-Day Moving Average
• Neutral Sentiment: Leidos gained even as the broader market declined, indicating relative strength, although the report primarily describes the trading move rather than a new fundamental catalyst. Why the Market Dipped but Leidos Gained
• Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming third-quarter results could benefit from defense demand, contract wins and artificial-intelligence initiatives, but healthcare pressure and higher interest costs remain risks. Leidos Q3 Earnings Preview

Leidos Company Profile

Leidos Holdings, Inc (NYSE: LDOS) is a technology, engineering and science company that provides services and solutions to government and commercial customers. Its work supports defense, intelligence, civil government, health and transportation missions, with offerings that include information technology modernization, systems integration, cybersecurity, data analytics, artificial intelligence, engineering and mission operations.

The company also provides health technology and scientific services, transportation management systems, aviation and security solutions, and support for complex government programs.