Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) Shares Gap Up After Earnings Beat

Posted by Brenda Bartman on Jul 23rd, 2026

Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT – Get Free Report) shares gapped up before the market opened on Thursday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock had previously closed at $514.36, but opened at $545.00. Lockheed Martin shares last traded at $573.3260, with a volume of 709,810 shares trading hands.

The aerospace company reported $7.94 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.19 by $0.75. Lockheed Martin had a net margin of 6.38% and a return on equity of 101.64%. The business had revenue of $20.06 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.34 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.46 earnings per share. Lockheed Martin’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Lockheed Martin has set its FY 2026 guidance at 29.950-30.650 EPS.

Lockheed Martin Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 25th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be paid a $3.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 1st. This represents a $13.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. Lockheed Martin’s payout ratio is 66.83%.

Trending Headlines about Lockheed Martin

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

Positive Sentiment: Lockheed Martin beat Q2 estimates, reporting EPS of $7.94 versus consensus near $7.2 and revenue of $20.1 billion, with sales up 11% year over year. Lockheed Martin Reports Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results
Positive Sentiment: The company raised FY 2026 guidance to EPS of $29.95-$30.65 and revenue of $79.8 billion-$81.8 billion, above prior expectations, as Pentagon restocking and munitions demand remain strong. Reuters article
Positive Sentiment: Lockheed highlighted a record $230 billion backlog, which gives investors greater visibility into future revenue and supports the view that defense spending is translating into durable orders. Lockheed Martin Reports Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results
Positive Sentiment: The board also declared a quarterly dividend of $3.45 per share, reinforcing Lockheed Martin’s shareholder-return profile. Lockheed Martin Declares Third Quarter 2026 Dividend
Neutral Sentiment: Lockheed Martin also announced a technology collaboration with Venus Aerospace on next-generation propulsion, a long-term development effort that is strategically interesting but unlikely to move near-term earnings. Lockheed Martin and Venus Aerospace Collaborate to Advance Next-Generation Propulsion for Long-Range Precision Fires

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Susquehanna cut their price target on shares of Lockheed Martin from $740.00 to $700.00 and set a “positive” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 24th. Weiss Ratings cut Lockheed Martin from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Lockheed Martin from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, April 25th. TD Cowen lowered their price objective on Lockheed Martin from $600.00 to $560.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $575.00 target price on Lockheed Martin in a report on Thursday, June 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $615.78.

Get Our Latest Report on Lockheed Martin

Institutional Trading of Lockheed Martin

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Cerro Pacific Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Lockheed Martin by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Cerro Pacific Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,376 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $665,000 after buying an additional 16 shares during the last quarter. Garner Asset Management Corp grew its holdings in shares of Lockheed Martin by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Garner Asset Management Corp now owns 1,735 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $839,000 after buying an additional 16 shares during the last quarter. Davis R M Inc. increased its position in shares of Lockheed Martin by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Davis R M Inc. now owns 1,264 shares of the aerospace company’s stock valued at $612,000 after acquiring an additional 16 shares during the period. Broadway Wealth Solutions Inc. raised its stake in Lockheed Martin by 3.6% in the 4th quarter. Broadway Wealth Solutions Inc. now owns 484 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $234,000 after acquiring an additional 17 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Aspire Growth Partners LLC raised its stake in Lockheed Martin by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Aspire Growth Partners LLC now owns 2,515 shares of the aerospace company’s stock worth $1,217,000 after acquiring an additional 17 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.19% of the company’s stock.

Lockheed Martin Trading Up 11.4%

The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $521.47 and a 200 day simple moving average of $572.63. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.74. The company has a market cap of $132.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.74, a PEG ratio of 0.91 and a beta of 0.11.

Lockheed Martin Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.