In the latest trading session, Lockheed Martin (LMT) closed at $577.94, marking a -0.12% move from the previous day. The stock's performance was ahead of the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.19%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw a downswing of 0.7%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq appreciated by 0.04%.
Heading into today, shares of the aerospace and defense company had gained 3.25% over the past month, outpacing the Aerospace sector's gain of 1.86% and the S&P 500's gain of 1.95% in that time.
Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of Lockheed Martin in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company's earnings per share (EPS) are projected to be $6.40, reflecting a 5.47% decrease from the same quarter last year. Alongside, our most recent consensus estimate is anticipating revenue of $17.45 billion, indicating a 3.37% upward movement from the same quarter last year.
For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $26.49 per share and revenue of $71.14 billion, which would represent changes of -4.78% and +5.28%, respectively, from the prior year.
Additionally, investors should keep an eye on any recent revisions to analyst forecasts for Lockheed Martin. Such recent modifications usually signify the changing landscape of near-term business trends. As a result, upbeat changes in estimates indicate analysts' favorable outlook on the company's business health and profitability.
Our research reveals that these estimate alterations are directly linked with the stock price performance in the near future. To utilize this, we have created the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model that integrates these estimate changes and provides a functional rating system.
The Zacks Rank system ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell). It has a remarkable, outside-audited track record of success, with #1 stocks delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate remained stagnant. Lockheed Martin presently features a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
With respect to valuation, Lockheed Martin is currently being traded at a Forward P/E ratio of 21.85. This valuation marks a premium compared to its industry's average Forward P/E of 21.08.
One should further note that LMT currently holds a PEG ratio of 4.67. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. As the market closed yesterday, the Aerospace - Defense industry was having an average PEG ratio of 2.07.
The Aerospace - Defense industry is part of the Aerospace sector. This industry, currently bearing a Zacks Industry Rank of 27, finds itself in the top 11% echelons of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Don't forget to use Zacks.com to keep track of all these stock-moving metrics, and others, in the upcoming trading sessions.
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