Back to top

Image: Bigstock

General Dynamics (GD) Dips More Than Broader Markets: What You Should Know

Read MoreHide Full Article

General Dynamics (GD - Free Report) closed the most recent trading day at $229.32, moving -1.31% from the previous trading session. This change lagged the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.58%. At the same time, the Dow lost 0.59%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 1.54%.

Coming into today, shares of the defense contractor had lost 0.1% in the past month. In that same time, the Aerospace sector lost 0.85%, while the S&P 500 gained 2%.

Investors will be hoping for strength from General Dynamics as it approaches its next earnings release. In that report, analysts expect General Dynamics to post earnings of $2.62 per share. This would mark year-over-year growth of 0.38%. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $9.37 billion, down 0.2% from the year-ago period.

GD's full-year Zacks Consensus Estimates are calling for earnings of $12.67 per share and revenue of $41.06 billion. These results would represent year-over-year changes of +3.94% and +4.18%, respectively.

Investors should also note any recent changes to analyst estimates for General Dynamics. These recent revisions tend to reflect the evolving nature of short-term business trends. As such, positive estimate revisions reflect analyst optimism about the company's business and profitability.

Research indicates that these estimate revisions are directly correlated with near-term share price momentum. We developed the Zacks Rank to capitalize on this phenomenon. Our system takes these estimate changes into account and delivers a clear, actionable rating model.

The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. The Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.5% lower within the past month. General Dynamics currently has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

In terms of valuation, General Dynamics is currently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 18.34. This valuation marks a premium compared to its industry's average Forward P/E of 18.24.

We can also see that GD currently has a PEG ratio of 2.13. 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. GD's industry had an average PEG ratio of 1.98 as of yesterday's close.

The Aerospace - Defense industry is part of the Aerospace sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 63, putting it in the top 25% 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.

You can find more information on all of these metrics, and much more, on Zacks.com.


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:


General Dynamics Corporation (GD) - free report >>

Published in