Truist Financial upgraded shares of Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT – Free Report) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note published on Friday,Zacks.com reports.
Several other research analysts also recently commented on the stock. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Lockheed Martin in a report on Wednesday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price target on Lockheed Martin from $517.00 to $492.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price target on Lockheed Martin from $497.00 to $545.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Monday, October 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $515.00 price objective (up previously from $465.00) on shares of Lockheed Martin in a report on Friday, December 19th. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their target price on Lockheed Martin from $500.00 to $550.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, October 6th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating, sixteen have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $512.35.
Lockheed Martin Stock Up 4.7%
Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 21st. The aerospace company reported $6.95 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.33 by $0.62. The business had revenue of $18.61 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.45 billion. Lockheed Martin had a net margin of 5.73% and a return on equity of 111.84%. The company’s revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $6.84 earnings per share. Lockheed Martin has set its FY 2025 guidance at 22.150-22.350 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Lockheed Martin will post 27.15 earnings per share for the current year.
Insider Buying and Selling
In related news, COO John Frank A. St sold 7,792 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $491.04, for a total transaction of $3,826,183.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 1 shares in the company, valued at $491.04. The trade was a 99.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.14% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Lockheed Martin by 5.0% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,995 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $1,941,000 after acquiring an additional 191 shares during the last quarter. Strs Ohio bought a new position in Lockheed Martin in the first quarter valued at $21,079,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its position in Lockheed Martin by 36.5% during the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 117,063 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $51,805,000 after purchasing an additional 31,323 shares in the last quarter. Modern Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Lockheed Martin by 170.9% during the first quarter. Modern Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,923 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $1,306,000 after purchasing an additional 1,844 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Voya Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Lockheed Martin by 1.8% in the 1st quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 92,320 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $41,240,000 after purchasing an additional 1,603 shares in the last quarter. 74.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Key Headlines Impacting Lockheed Martin
Here are the key news stories impacting Lockheed Martin this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Large proposed defense budget: President Trump’s proposal to raise U.S. military spending toward $1.5 trillion has pushed defense names higher and is the primary near‑term driver supporting LMT’s rally. A $1.5 Trillion Reason to Buy Lockheed Martin Stock in 2026
- Positive Sentiment: Operational momentum: Lockheed reported a record 191 F‑35 deliveries in 2025, reinforcing production scale and contract leverage that investors reward in a higher‑budget scenario. Lockheed says 2025 F-35 deliveries hit 191 as demand lifts production pace
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade / attractive risk/reward: Truist upgraded LMT, saying the risk/reward looks more attractive after 2025 weakness — a catalyst for buyers seeking exposure to a higher‑spend backdrop. After a Tough 2025, Lockheed Martin Stock Can Have a Better 2026
- Positive Sentiment: Upgraded estimates: Several Zacks analyst notes raised near‑term EPS estimates for 2026/2027, supporting an earnings outlook that justifies premium defense multiples if budgets rise. Lockheed Martin (LMT Stock) Climbs On Trump’s Defense Budget Comments: These Congress Members Could Profit
- Neutral Sentiment: Short‑term price action/volume: Coverage notes the stock moved on heavy volume and that recent earnings‑estimate revisions are mixed; technical momentum may continue but could be choppy. Lockheed (LMT) Surges 4.3%: Is This an Indication of Further Gains?
- Negative Sentiment: Regulatory/policy risk — buybacks & dividends: An executive order and social‑media posts from the president targeting buybacks/dividends for defense contractors caused sharp volatility and could pressure shareholder returns going forward. Trump signs order to block defense companies from buying back stock until arms production improves
- Negative Sentiment: Sentiment whipsaw from presidential comments: Markets reacted to posts about restricting buybacks/dividends, briefly hitting shares before the budget news reversed some losses — political headlines remain a wild card. Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman Shares Hit by Trump Post on Share Buybacks
About Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE: LMT) is a global aerospace and defense company that designs, develops and manufactures advanced technology systems for government and commercial customers. Formed through the 1995 merger of Lockheed Corporation and Martin Marietta, the company is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, and focuses on providing integrated solutions across air, space, land and sea domains. Its primary customers include the U.S. Department of Defense, NASA and allied governments around the world.
Lockheed Martin’s product and service portfolio spans military aircraft, missile and fire-control systems, missile defense, space systems and satellite technologies, sensors and precision weapons.
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