Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co has made a new investment in Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS), acquiring 2,075 shares valued at approximately $299,000 during the fourth quarter. This move is part of a larger trend among institutional investors, with other hedge funds such as Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV, Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec, Comerica Bank, Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda, and Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC adjusting their positions in Leidos.
Institutional Investment Activity
Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings in Leidos Holdings, Inc. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV increased its stake by 22.4%, now owning 37,063 shares worth $5,339,000. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec boosted its holdings by 101.8%, now owning 96,578 shares valued at $13,913,000. Comerica Bank raised its stake by 13.9%, now holding 68,906 shares worth $9,927,000. Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda established a new position valued at approximately $240,000. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC increased its position by 139.9%, now owning 39,537 shares worth $5,696,000.
Insider Activity
Leidos insiders have been active in the market, with Director Robert C. Kovarik, Jr. selling 1,511 shares at an average price of $134.56, and Director Gary Stephen May selling 2,128 shares at $131.24. These transactions have been disclosed in legal filings with the SEC.
Analyst Ratings and Price Targets
Analysts have been adjusting their ratings and price targets for Leidos. Cantor Fitzgerald upgraded Leidos to a “strong-buy” rating, while UBS Group lowered its price objective from $162.00 to $156.00 and maintained a “neutral” rating. William Blair downgraded Leidos from “outperform” to “market perform”. StockNews.com downgraded the stock from “strong-buy” to “buy”. Wells Fargo & Company reduced its price objective from $191.00 to $173.00 but maintained an “overweight” rating. The consensus rating among analysts is “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of $179.23.
Stock Performance and Financials
Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) stock opened at $148.71, with a 50-day moving average of $137.81 and a 200-day moving average of $149.96. The company has a market capitalization of $19.07 billion and a P/E ratio of 16.09. Leidos recently reported earnings per share of $2.37, beating the consensus estimate of $2.24. The company has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.40 per share, representing a 1.08% dividend yield.
