Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) Shares Gap Down - Time to Sell?

Lockheed Martin Co. (NYSE:LMT) experienced a significant drop in share price before trading commenced on Tuesday. The stock, which previously closed at $503.69, opened at $473.70. After some trading, Lockheed Martin shares were last recorded at $463.21, with a trading volume of 498,951 shares.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Recent evaluations by various equities analysts have highlighted differing views regarding LMT shares. For instance, JPMorgan Chase & Co. revised their price objective for Lockheed Martin down from $546.00 to $540.00 while maintaining an "overweight" rating on January 16. Conversely, TD Cowen raised their price target from $560.00 to $610.00, designating the stock with a "buy" rating on October 23. In contrast, Deutsche Bank downgraded Lockheed Martin from a "buy" to a "hold" rating, adjusting their price target from $611.00 to $523.00 on January 2. Royal Bank of Canada also cut their price target from $675.00 to $665.00, keeping an "outperform" rating as of October 23. Additionally, Susquehanna decreased its target on the stock from $695.00 to $590.00 while maintaining a "positive" rating on January 8. Currently, one analyst has issued a sell rating, five have recommended a hold, nine suggest buying, and one has given a strong buy rating. Based on these ratings, Lockheed Martin has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a target price of $577.73 according to MarketBeat.

Lockheed Martin Trading Down 7.4 %

The company is observing a trading decrease of approximately 7.4%. Lockheed Martin has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a current ratio of 1.30, and a quick ratio of 1.12. Currently, its 50-day moving average price stands at $498.68, while the 200-day moving average price is $537.59. With a market capitalization of $110.54 billion, Lockheed Martin shows a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.88, a P/E/G ratio of 4.05, and a beta of 0.48.

Earnings Results

On January 28, Lockheed Martin released its latest quarterly earnings, achieving $7.67 in earnings per share, surpassing analysts' expectations of $6.58 by $1.09. The company reported a net margin of 9.36% and a return on equity of 101.44%. Analysts anticipate that Lockheed Martin will record an earnings per share of 26.89 for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Recently, institutional investors have adjusted their holdings in Lockheed Martin. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A., Burkett Financial Services LLC, and others have established new positions valued at approximately $26,000, $32,000, and $40,000, respectively, during the third and second quarters. Currently, institutional investors and hedge funds possess 74.19% of Lockheed Martin's stock.

About Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin Corporation is a prominent aerospace and security firm involved in researching, designing, developing, manufacturing, integrating, and sustaining technology systems and services across various sectors worldwide. The company is structured into several segments, including Aeronautics, Missiles and Fire Control, Rotary and Mission Systems, and Space.

Investing Considerations

Before deciding to invest in Lockheed Martin, potential investors should take into account analysts' perspectives and recent share price movements. Although Lockheed Martin maintains a "Moderate Buy" rating among analysts, there may be better opportunities elsewhere according to top-rated analysts.

Lockheed, Martin, Stocks