Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results
by Jessica Moore · The Cerbat GemLockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT – Get Free Report) released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The aerospace company reported $6.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $6.79 by ($0.35), FiscalAI reports. Lockheed Martin had a net margin of 6.69% and a return on equity of 108.53%. The firm had revenue of $18.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.38 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $7.28 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up .3% compared to the same quarter last year. Lockheed Martin updated its FY 2026 guidance to 29.350-30.250 EPS.
Here are the key takeaways from Lockheed Martin’s conference call:
- Lockheed announced a landmark $1.5 billion sale of 12 Block 70 F-16s to Peru—the first direct commercial F-16 sale in decades—and won additional international and program awards (including F-35 long‑lead material contracts), underscoring sustained global demand for its aircraft portfolio.
- The company secured large munitions awards (including a $4.8 billion fully funded undefinitized PAC‑3 contract and a prior ~$2.2 billion award) and is scaling production (PAC‑3 3x, THAAD 4x) with construction/modernization of 20+ facilities to expand capacity and strengthen supply‑chain resilience.
- Orion and Artemis II were highlighted as a near‑flawless success, and Lockheed is assembling Orion spacecraft for Artemis III–V, reinforcing its leadership and revenue visibility in deep‑space exploration programs.
- Q1 results showed flat sales of $18 billion, a segment operating profit decline to $1.8 billion and EPS of $6.44 (down 12%) driven by lower profit adjustments and mark‑to‑market losses; free cash flow was a use of $291 million (ERP implementation and working capital timing), though full‑year guidance was reaffirmed.
- Lockheed is increasing innovation investments—expanding its Venture Fund to $1 billion, investing in Fortem for counter‑UAS solutions, and centralizing AI work in a secure AI Center—which may drive long‑term competitive advantage but has uncertain near‑term financial impact.
Lockheed Martin Stock Down 5.6%
Shares of NYSE:LMT traded down $30.86 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $524.57. The company had a trading volume of 1,668,311 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,740,924. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.05. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $633.27 and its 200 day moving average price is $553.09. The stock has a market cap of $120.89 billion, a PE ratio of 24.43, a P/E/G ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 0.23. Lockheed Martin has a 1-year low of $410.11 and a 1-year high of $692.00.
Lockheed Martin Announces Dividend
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 27th. Investors of record on Monday, March 2nd were given a $3.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 2nd. This represents a $13.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. Lockheed Martin’s payout ratio is currently 64.22%.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
LMT has been the topic of several recent research reports. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price target on Lockheed Martin from $654.00 to $661.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Susquehanna lifted their price target on Lockheed Martin from $725.00 to $740.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 18th. Wells Fargo & Company initiated coverage on Lockheed Martin in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $650.00 price target on the stock. Wall Street Zen downgraded Lockheed Martin from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, March 22nd. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price target on Lockheed Martin from $580.00 to $663.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Seven research 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, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $646.16.
Read Our Latest Research Report on LMT
Institutional Trading of Lockheed Martin
A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Lockheed Martin by 107.3% during the fourth quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,293,823 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $625,784,000 after purchasing an additional 669,604 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley grew its holdings in Lockheed Martin by 10.1% during the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 5,728,551 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $2,770,729,000 after purchasing an additional 527,523 shares during the period. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. grew its holdings in Lockheed Martin by 261.8% during the fourth quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 454,354 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $219,757,000 after purchasing an additional 328,767 shares during the period. Vident Advisory LLC grew its holdings in Lockheed Martin by 1,987.6% during the fourth quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 280,825 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $135,827,000 after purchasing an additional 267,373 shares during the period. Finally, Quadrature Capital Ltd grew its holdings in Lockheed Martin by 447.6% during the fourth quarter. Quadrature Capital Ltd now owns 289,738 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $140,138,000 after purchasing an additional 236,831 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.19% of the company’s stock.
Trending Headlines about Lockheed Martin
Here are the key news stories impacting Lockheed Martin this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Order and contract momentum: Peru selected 12 F‑16 Block 70 jets and Lockheed announced recent contract awards and satellite/launch work, underlining steady demand for prime platforms and space capabilities. Peru Selects Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 Lockheed Martin wins $137M in defense contracts
- Neutral Sentiment: Guidance largely affirmed: Lockheed reaffirmed FY‑2026 EPS guidance of $29.35–$30.25 and revenue guidance of $77.5B–$80.0B — roughly in line with prior outlook but slightly below some consensus assumptions. Lockheed Martin Reports First Quarter 2026 Financial Results (press release / slide deck)
- Neutral Sentiment: Analyst activity and technicals: Some houses have nudged price targets and analysts remain mixed — supportive for medium‑term sentiment but not enough to offset the quarter’s operational misses. Bernstein adjusts Lockheed Martin price target
- Negative Sentiment: Earnings and cash‑flow shortfall: Q1 EPS of $6.44 missed estimates, revenue of $18.02B was below consensus, net profit fell year‑over‑year, and free cash flow swung to about negative $291M — a key near‑term driver of the stock’s decline. Lockheed Martin Stock Falls After Earnings Miss As Cash Flow Turns Negative Lockheed Martin posts lower quarterly profit as delays weigh
- Negative Sentiment: Operational headwinds: Management cited production slowdowns and higher costs on certain fixed‑price contracts (including some F‑16/C‑130 program impacts), which constrained margins and cash generation this quarter. QZ: Lockheed Martin Q1 2026 earnings miss on F-16, C-130 delays
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.