Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ:ESLT) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ:ESLT) has earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the six brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, two have issued a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $742.75.

Several brokerages recently issued reports on ESLT. Zacks Research upgraded Elbit Systems from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “hold” rating and set a $950.00 price objective on shares of Elbit Systems in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Elbit Systems from $930.00 to $950.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th.

Elbit Systems Price Performance

Shares of ESLT opened at $829.81 on Thursday. Elbit Systems has a twelve month low of $407.76 and a twelve month high of $1,016.06. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $847.35 and its two-hundred day moving average is $729.10. The firm has a market capitalization of $36.89 billion, a PE ratio of 67.19, a P/E/G ratio of 3.46 and a beta of 0.14. The company has a current ratio of 1.41, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06.

Elbit Systems (NASDAQ:ESLT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 26th. The aerospace company reported $3.87 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.98 by $0.89. Elbit Systems had a return on equity of 16.15% and a net margin of 7.14%.The company had revenue of $2.19 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.14 billion. Research analysts anticipate that Elbit Systems will post 15.94 earnings per share for the current year.

Elbit Systems Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 6th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 23rd will be paid a $1.00 dividend. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 23rd. Elbit Systems’s payout ratio is presently 26.96%.

Insider Transactions at Elbit Systems

In other Elbit Systems news, EVP Jonathan Ariel sold 7,654 shares of Elbit Systems stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $887.40, for a total value of $6,792,159.60. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Oren Yaacov Sabag sold 8,504 shares of Elbit Systems stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $887.40, for a total transaction of $7,546,449.60. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 69,736 shares of company stock worth $61,883,726 in the last three months. 0.84% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Elbit Systems

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Pinpoint Asset Management Singapore Pte. Ltd. raised its stake in Elbit Systems by 296.0% during the third quarter. Pinpoint Asset Management Singapore Pte. Ltd. now owns 6,970 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $3,553,000 after acquiring an additional 5,210 shares during the period. ARK Investment Management LLC raised its stake in Elbit Systems by 11.6% during the third quarter. ARK Investment Management LLC now owns 53,569 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $27,309,000 after acquiring an additional 5,550 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp raised its stake in Elbit Systems by 3,162.0% during the third quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 648,104 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $330,404,000 after acquiring an additional 628,236 shares during the period. Cadent Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Elbit Systems during the fourth quarter worth about $1,493,000. Finally, Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp raised its stake in Elbit Systems by 180,000.0% during the third quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 1,801 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $918,000 after acquiring an additional 1,800 shares during the period. 17.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Elbit Systems Company Profile

Elbit Systems Ltd. is an Israel-based defense electronics company that designs, develops and supplies a broad range of systems for military, homeland security and commercial aviation customers. The company focuses on integrated, platform-level solutions that combine sensors, communications, command-and-control software and weapons integration to support intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), force protection and mission management.

Its product and service portfolio spans unmanned aircraft systems, electro-optic and signal intelligence systems, electronic warfare and communications equipment, avionics and mission systems for military and commercial aircraft, and land and naval systems.