Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ:ESLT) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” from Analysts

Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ:ESLT) has earned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the five analysts that are covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating. The average 1 year target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $870.00.

ESLT has been the subject of several analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price on shares of Elbit Systems from $950.00 to $880.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Elbit Systems from $950.00 to $885.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Elbit Systems from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 26th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Elbit Systems from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, September 5th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of Elbit Systems from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th.

Elbit Systems Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ ESLT opened at $728.00 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a current ratio of 1.39. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $765.10 and a 200 day moving average price of $813.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $32.36 billion, a PE ratio of 54.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.01 and a beta of 0.14. Elbit Systems has a 52 week low of $453.00 and a 52 week high of $1,016.06.

Elbit Systems (NASDAQ:ESLT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 11th. The aerospace company reported $4.14 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.69 by $0.45. Elbit Systems had a return on equity of 16.66% and a net margin of 7.44%.The firm had revenue of $2.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.25 billion. Analysts predict that Elbit Systems will post 15.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Elbit Systems Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, October 26th. Investors of record on Tuesday, October 13th will be issued a dividend of $1.00 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, October 13th. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. Elbit Systems’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 25.02%.

Institutional Trading of Elbit Systems

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. HighTower Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Elbit Systems by 101.9% during the 4th quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 8,807 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $5,084,000 after acquiring an additional 4,444 shares during the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its position in shares of Elbit Systems by 45.8% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 6,039 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $5,127,000 after acquiring an additional 1,898 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new stake in Elbit Systems in the 2nd quarter valued at about $3,633,000. Navellier & Associates Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Elbit Systems by 10.3% during the 2nd quarter. Navellier & Associates Inc. now owns 16,247 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $12,327,000 after purchasing an additional 1,514 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital Wealth Planning LLC boosted its position in shares of Elbit Systems by 149.9% during the 4th quarter. Capital Wealth Planning LLC now owns 16,559 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $9,802,000 after acquiring an additional 9,932 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 17.88% of the company’s stock.

Elbit Systems Company Profile

Elbit Systems Ltd. is an Israel-based international defense technology company that develops and supplies systems for military, homeland security, and commercial aviation applications. The company’s portfolio includes command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) solutions; unmanned aircraft and ground systems; electro-optical and night-vision equipment; electronic warfare and signals intelligence systems; and cyber-related technologies.

Elbit Systems also provides products and services for land forces, including artillery systems, precision-guided munitions, vehicle systems, tactical communications, and fire-control solutions.