Lockheed Martin Corporation $LMT Stock: Sterling Capital Management LLC Increases Stake

Sterling Capital Management LLC grew its position in Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT) by 22.0% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 27,344 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after buying an additional 4,925 shares during the period. Sterling Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Lockheed Martin were worth $13,925,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of LMT. Rooted Wealth Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Lockheed Martin by 1.8% during the first quarter. Rooted Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 1,036 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $602,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares during the period. Beacon Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Lockheed Martin by 4.5% in the second quarter. Beacon Capital Management LLC now owns 442 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $225,000 after purchasing an additional 19 shares during the period. YANKCOM Partnership boosted its stake in Lockheed Martin by 0.7% during the third quarter. YANKCOM Partnership now owns 2,575 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $1,311,000 after buying an additional 19 shares in the last quarter. Capital Square LLC boosted its stake in Lockheed Martin by 1.1% during the third quarter. Capital Square LLC now owns 1,793 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $913,000 after buying an additional 19 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Boomfish Wealth Group LLC increased its holdings in Lockheed Martin by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Boomfish Wealth Group LLC now owns 5,748 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $2,927,000 after buying an additional 19 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.19% of the company’s stock.

Lockheed Martin News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Lockheed Martin this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 beat and raised outlook: Lockheed reported adjusted EPS of $7.97 versus the $7.52 consensus, while revenue rose 11.3% year over year to $20.71 billion. Management now expects 2026 sales of $80 billion-$82 billion and EPS of $30.35-$30.75. Lockheed Martin Reports Third Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Record backlog supports future revenue: Total backlog reached approximately $292 billion, up sharply from the prior quarter, with much of the increase coming from PAC-3 and THAAD missile-defense orders. Missiles and Fire Control sales grew 24% as production accelerated, strengthening visibility into long-term growth. Lockheed Martin’s Record $292 Billion Backlog Comes With a Delivery Test
• Positive Sentiment: Long-term F-35 commitment: The Pentagon and Lockheed announced an initial framework for producing 850 F-35 aircraft over 10 years. The agreement provides greater production visibility and could improve supply-chain efficiency, although Lockheed will invest about $7 billion in supporting projects. Pentagon, Lockheed announce agreement for 850 F-35 jets
• Positive Sentiment: Cash flow and shareholder returns: Lockheed raised its 2026 free-cash-flow outlook to roughly $7.8 billion-$8.0 billion and recently increased its quarterly dividend 4.4% to $3.60 per share. Lockheed Martin, Interactive Brokers, AEP Hike Dividends on Strong Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry forecasts point to strong growth in defense electronics and land-based C4ISR, potentially expanding Lockheed Martin’s addressable market, but these reports are third-party projections rather than new company contracts.
• Negative Sentiment: Execution and funding risks remain: The backlog must be converted into deliveries and cash. F-35 deliveries fell year over year, and Lockheed said spending on the Lot 20 advance contract has exceeded currently authorized funding. Higher contract assets and supply-chain constraints could also delay cash collection or pressure margins. Lockheed is spending its own money before Washington signs off

Lockheed Martin Price Performance

Shares of NYSE LMT traded up $14.96 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $604.87. 1,815,661 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,258,523. Lockheed Martin Corporation has a 12 month low of $437.25 and a 12 month high of $692.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.04, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a current ratio of 1.26. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $538.52 and its 200-day simple moving average is $542.30. The firm has a market cap of $139.60 billion, a PE ratio of 21.49, a PEG ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.09.

Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The aerospace company reported $7.97 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $7.52 by $0.45. The business had revenue of $20.71 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.48 billion. Lockheed Martin had a net margin of 8.23% and a return on equity of 83.41%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 11.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $6.95 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Lockheed Martin Corporation will post 30.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lockheed Martin Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 1st will be given a $3.60 dividend. This represents a $14.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. This is a boost from Lockheed Martin’s previous quarterly dividend of $3.45. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 1st. Lockheed Martin’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 51.15%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on LMT. Wells Fargo & Company set a $600.00 price objective on shares of Lockheed Martin in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Lockheed Martin from $691.00 to $706.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on shares of Lockheed Martin from $550.00 to $600.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Lockheed Martin in a research report on Wednesday, September 2nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Lockheed Martin from $653.00 to $690.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $632.33.

Lockheed Martin Company Profile

Lockheed Martin Corporation is a global security and aerospace company headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. Formed in 1995 through the merger of Lockheed Corporation and Martin Marietta, the company develops and produces advanced defense, aerospace, and technology systems for government and commercial customers.

Its principal business areas include Aeronautics, Missiles and Fire Control, Rotary and Mission Systems, and Space. Products and services include military aircraft such as the F-35 Lightning II, C-130 Hercules, and F-16 Fighting Falcon; missile-defense and precision-strike systems; helicopters and naval systems; command, control, communications, and intelligence technologies; satellites; space exploration systems; and other classified space and defense programs.

Lockheed Martin serves the U.S.