Lockheed Martin Corporation $LMT Shares Sold by Willis Investment Counsel

Willis Investment Counsel reduced its stake in shares of Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT) by 5.5% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 94,257 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after selling 5,521 shares during the quarter. Lockheed Martin makes up 2.4% of Willis Investment Counsel’s holdings, making the stock its 8th largest holding. Willis Investment Counsel’s holdings in Lockheed Martin were worth $45,589,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. United Financial Planning Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lockheed Martin in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Lockheed Martin by 285.7% in the 3rd quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 54 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lockheed Martin in the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP acquired a new position in shares of Lockheed Martin in the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Pilgrim Partners Asia Pte Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Lockheed Martin in the 3rd quarter valued at $35,000. 74.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Lockheed Martin

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

• Positive Sentiment: Congressional/DoD funding pressure: A proposed $2.9 billion allocation for Lockheed’s AIM-260 missile in 2027 and related Pentagon budget surge reports increase the likelihood of accelerated program funding and production ramp, supporting future revenue for Lockheed’s missile systems. Lockheed Martin Gains As $2.9 Billion AIM-260 Funding Proposed For 2027
• Positive Sentiment: Sector-tailwind from Washington: Coverage notes that President Trump’s proposed $2.2T defense budget and Pentagon budget moves signal stronger topline visibility for prime contractors, easing concerns around Lockheed’s forward guidance. Trump’s $2.2T proposed defense budget boosts Lockheed Martin’s outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and price-target increases: BNP Paribas Exane raised its price target to $770 (outperform), a sizable upside signal; Jefferies also nudged its target to $640 and an analyst note flagged upside potential — these lifts can support near-term buying interest. BNP Paribas raises Lockheed Martin price target to $770
• Neutral Sentiment: Fundamental/market momentum: Coverage highlights Lockheed’s strong 2026 performance (up ~30% YTD) and defensive characteristics (low beta, dividend yield ~2%), reinforcing its appeal as a large-cap defense growth-and-income name but also reflecting elevated multiples. Lockheed Martin Stock Is Up 30% in 2026 and Yields 2%
• Neutral Sentiment: Supplier contract renewal: Exostar won a new five-year contract with Lockheed to manage supplier/risk/compliance workflows — a modest operational positive that supports supply-chain continuity but is not material to top-line figures. Exostar Wins New 5-Year Contract with Lockheed Martin
• Negative Sentiment: Market headwinds from Iran cease-fire: Multiple outlets report defense stocks pared gains after an Iran cease-fire and investors awaiting policy moves; defense ETFs have lagged, which is pressuring Lockheed despite company-specific positives. Defense Stocks Mixed After Iran Cease-Fire
• Negative Sentiment: Program disappointment: Lockheed failed to advance in the Army’s Flight School Next competition (Bell M1 moved forward), a loss that removes a near-term contract opportunity and may weigh on sentiment for that program area. Bell, M1 Move Onto Final Phase Of Army’s Flight School Next Competition, Lockheed Doesn’t Advance
• Negative Sentiment: Short-term stock weakness: News roundups note recent daily declines and sector volatility tied to macro and geopolitical headlines, which can create short-term downside despite favorable program funding. Lockheed Martin (LMT) Stock Slides as Market Rises

Lockheed Martin Stock Up 0.1%

LMT opened at $628.11 on Thursday. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $638.59 and its 200-day simple moving average is $545.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.05, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.09. Lockheed Martin Corporation has a twelve month low of $410.11 and a twelve month high of $692.00. The firm has a market cap of $144.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.23, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.23.

Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The aerospace company reported $5.80 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.33 by ($0.53). Lockheed Martin had a return on equity of 108.53% and a net margin of 6.69%.The company had revenue of $20.32 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.84 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $7.67 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 9.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Lockheed Martin Corporation will post 27.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lockheed Martin Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 27th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 2nd were issued a dividend of $3.45 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 2nd. This represents a $13.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. Lockheed Martin’s dividend payout ratio is currently 64.22%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on LMT. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Lockheed Martin from $515.00 to $680.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on shares of Lockheed Martin in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $650.00 price objective for the company. Argus increased their price objective on shares of Lockheed Martin from $530.00 to $735.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Morgan Stanley set a $675.00 target price on shares of Lockheed Martin in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on shares of Lockheed Martin from $464.00 to $517.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $645.79.

About Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE: LMT) is a global aerospace and defense company that designs, develops and manufactures advanced technology systems for government and commercial customers. Formed through the 1995 merger of Lockheed Corporation and Martin Marietta, the company is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, and focuses on providing integrated solutions across air, space, land and sea domains. Its primary customers include the U.S. Department of Defense, NASA and allied governments around the world.

Lockheed Martin’s product and service portfolio spans military aircraft, missile and fire-control systems, missile defense, space systems and satellite technologies, sensors and precision weapons.