Cantor Fitzgerald has notably revised its earnings per share estimates for Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS), projecting a more robust financial outlook for the aerospace and defense company. This upward adjustment to $11.16 per share for fiscal year 2026, a significant increase from their prior $10.81 estimate, signals growing confidence in Leidos’s future profitability and market position. The broader consensus among analysts currently sits at $10.62 per share, underscoring Cantor Fitzgerald’s more optimistic financial forecast.

This positive sentiment from Cantor Fitzgerald is not isolated, as several other prominent research firms have also recently updated their outlooks on Leidos stock. UBS Group, for instance, raised its price objective to $168.00 while maintaining a “neutral” rating, indicating a cautious yet appreciative stance on the company’s valuation. Similarly, Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating, adjusting its price objective upwards to $190.00, reflecting strong belief in Leidos’s growth trajectory.

However, the analyst landscape for Leidos is not uniformly bullish, with some firms adopting a more tempered view. Baird R.W. and Robert W. Baird both downgraded Leidos stock from “strong-buy” or “outperform” to “hold” or “neutral,” with target prices around $163.00. Despite these varied perspectives, the overall market consensus, according to MarketBeat, rates Leidos as a “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of $175.15, suggesting a generally favorable outlook among investor circles.

Analyzing Leidos’s recent market performance provides further context to these analyst revisions. Shares opened at $159.21, exhibiting resilience with a fifty-day moving average of $155.43 and a two-hundred-day moving average of $146.55. While the company has seen a 1-year low of $123.62, it has also reached a 1-year high of $202.90, illustrating a dynamic range in its stock valuation over the past year.

From a financial health perspective, Leidos presents a detailed picture of its fiscal standing. The company maintains a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17, alongside a current ratio of 1.54 and a quick ratio of 1.42, indicating a sound liquidity position. With a substantial market capitalization of $20.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.02, and a beta of 0.65, Leidos demonstrates stable financial fundamentals and moderate volatility in the broader market.

The aerospace company recently disclosed strong quarterly earnings data, significantly surpassing analyst expectations. On May 6th, Leidos reported earnings per share of $2.97, outperforming the consensus estimate of $2.47 by a considerable margin of $0.50. Furthermore, the business recorded revenues of $4.25 billion for the quarter, exceeding the $4.11 billion consensus and marking a healthy 6.8% increase compared to the same period last year, reinforcing robust financial performance.

Leidos continues to reward its shareholders with a consistent quarterly dividend. The company announced a dividend of $0.40 per share, payable on September 30th to stockholders of record by September 15th. This translates to an annualized dividend of $1.60 and a dividend yield of 1.0%, with a current payout ratio of 16.10%, signaling a healthy balance between reinvestment and shareholder returns.

Recent insider trading activity also provides additional insights into Leidos’s internal perspectives. A director recently sold 1,250 shares of Leidos stock at an average price of $154.55, totaling $193,187.50. Despite this transaction, which represents a minor decrease in their holdings, the director retains a substantial stake in the company, valuing over $3.1 million. This sale, duly disclosed with the SEC, accounts for a small fraction of the 0.96% of Leidos stock owned by company insiders.

Institutional investors and hedge funds are actively adjusting their positions in Leidos, reflecting diverse investment strategies. Firms like Quotient Wealth Partners LLC, REAP Financial Group LLC, and Private Trust Co. NA have all increased their stakes in Leidos during recent quarters, highlighting growing interest from institutional players. Overall, approximately 76.12% of Leidos stock is held by hedge funds and other institutional investors, indicating strong institutional confidence in the company’s long-term prospects and market stability.