General Dynamics Corporation $GD Shares Sold by Morningstar Investment Management LLC

Morningstar Investment Management LLC lowered its position in General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD) by 33.9% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 15,976 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after selling 8,204 shares during the period. Morningstar Investment Management LLC’s holdings in General Dynamics were worth $5,483,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of GD. Whipplewood Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of General Dynamics by 1,725.0% in the first quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 73 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the period. Steph & Co. increased its holdings in General Dynamics by 65.2% in the 4th quarter. Steph & Co. now owns 76 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. Scarborough Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of General Dynamics in the 1st quarter valued at $29,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC lifted its stake in General Dynamics by 79.6% during the 1st quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC now owns 88 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Motiv8 Investments LLC purchased a new position in General Dynamics during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. 86.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

General Dynamics Trading Up 1.2%

Shares of GD stock opened at $386.51 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. The company has a market capitalization of $104.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.32, a PEG ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.34. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $356.19 and a 200 day moving average price of $351.77. General Dynamics Corporation has a twelve month low of $306.03 and a twelve month high of $388.12.

General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The aerospace company reported $4.10 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.67 by $0.43. The firm had revenue of $13.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.70 billion. General Dynamics had a return on equity of 17.41% and a net margin of 8.07%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.66 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that General Dynamics Corporation will post 16.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

General Dynamics Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 2nd will be given a $1.59 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 2nd. This represents a $6.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. General Dynamics’s dividend payout ratio is presently 40.03%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Mark Malcolm sold 5,480 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $365.00, for a total value of $2,000,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 10,643 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,884,695. This represents a 33.99% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Mark Lagrand Burns sold 36,480 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $345.29, for a total value of $12,596,179.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 38,975 shares in the company, valued at $13,457,677.75. This trade represents a 48.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 78,190 shares of company stock worth $27,041,022. Insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting General Dynamics

Here are the key news stories impacting General Dynamics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: GD has hit a 52-week high, reflecting strong momentum and investor confidence in the defense contractor’s outlook. General Dynamics Corporation (GD) Hit a 52 Week High, Can the Run Continue?
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are focusing on GD’s upcoming Q2 results, with attention on a record backlog and improving defense operations, which could support the stock if management delivers strong numbers and positive commentary on submarines and Gulfstream. General Dynamics to Release Q2 Earnings: Here’s What to Expect
• Positive Sentiment: Recent investor sentiment has also been helped by broader strength in defense stocks, with peers posting solid results and raising guidance, which has lifted expectations for GD ahead of its July 29 earnings release. Why General Dynamics (GD) Stock Is Up Today
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street is also watching GD’s Q2 estimates and key operating metrics closely, suggesting the market may be waiting for confirmation that recent strength is sustainable rather than purely speculative. General Dynamics (GD) Q2 Earnings on the Horizon: Analysts’ Insights on Key Performance Measures
• Neutral Sentiment: One article compared GD’s value profile with GE Aerospace, reinforcing that investors still see GD as a large-cap defense name with valuation appeal, but not necessarily a fresh catalyst by itself. GD vs. GE: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

GD has been the subject of several analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on General Dynamics from $400.00 to $440.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their target price on shares of General Dynamics from $327.00 to $313.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 4th. DA Davidson dropped their price target on General Dynamics from $384.00 to $375.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. UBS Group upgraded shares of General Dynamics from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their target price on General Dynamics from $380.00 to $364.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 18th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, General Dynamics currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $391.15.

About General Dynamics

General Dynamics is a major American aerospace and defense contractor that designs, manufactures and supports a broad range of products and services for government and commercial customers worldwide. Headquartered in the United States (Reston, Virginia), the company supplies platforms and systems used by armed forces, civil authorities and private operators across multiple domains including air, land, sea and cyber.

Its principal activities span several operating businesses: a business aviation unit that develops and supports Gulfstream business jets; land systems that produce armored combat vehicles and related logistics and sustainment services; marine systems that design and construct submarines and surface ships for navies; and mission systems and information technology operations that provide command-and-control, communications, cybersecurity and systems-integration services.