Leidos Holdings stock falls after insider sale and guidance update
Published on 09/03/2026 at 18:59 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Leidos Holdings, Inc. (ISIN US5253271028) stock has come under pressure in early September 2026, trading around the mid-130 dollar range after a recent insider share sale and a pullback following strong quarterly figures and fresh fiscal 2026 guidance reported by analysts as of September 2, 2026.
Quarterly earnings beat and new guidance
According to a detailed MarketBeat alert dated September 2, 2026, Leidos recently reported quarterly earnings per share of USD 3.26, clearly ahead of analyst consensus estimates of USD 2.91, a positive surprise of USD 0.35 per share in the latest quarter.
The same MarketBeat overview states that Leidos generated revenue of USD 4.56 billion in this quarter, compared with analyst expectations of USD 4.44 billion, meaning reported revenue exceeded consensus by USD 0.12 billion while revenue was up 7.2 percent year on year compared to the same quarter in the prior year.
MarketBeat also reports that Leidos has issued fiscal 2026 earnings guidance in a range of USD 12.20 to USD 12.50 per share, and that research analysts currently anticipate full year earnings per share of USD 12.38, positioning the stock in the mid-teens EPS bracket for 2026.
Insider sale and recent price pullback
The share price reaction has been shaped not only by the earnings beat but also by insider activity. A filing summarized by Stock Titan shows that director Gary Stephen May sold 1,000 Leidos shares in open market transactions on September 1, 2026 at a weighted average price of about USD 140.85 per share.
Building on this, Benzinga reports on September 3, 2026 that Leidos shares were actively trading at around USD 132.30 during the morning session, down 0.62 percent, implying the stock has declined roughly USD 8.55 or around 6.1 percent from the director's average sale price within just a few days.
Data compiled by MarketBeat show that Leidos closed at USD 133.65 on September 2, 2026, down USD 5.53 or 3.98 percent in that session, a move that aligns with other commentary pointing to a 3.4 percent slide amid profit taking after strong results and new buyback authorization.
More background on Leidos Holdings stock
Investors can find additional market data and news on Leidos Holdings stock as well as broader coverage of the security via the AD HOC NEWS topic overview for US5253271028.
Valuation, dividend and buyback context
The MarketBeat alert highlights that Leidos has a net margin of 7.80 percent and a return on equity of 30.81 percent in the latest reported quarter, figures that underline the company's profitability and capital efficiency in the current reporting period.
In addition, the same source notes that Leidos recently announced a quarterly dividend of USD 0.43 per share, corresponding to an annualized dividend of USD 1.72 and a yield of about 1.3 percent based on the price level around USD 133.65, offering investors a modest income component on top of potential capital gains.
The MarketBeat coverage further mentions that Leidos has authorized a share buyback program for up to 20 million shares, which provides management with flexibility to repurchase stock when they see value and can be supportive for the share price over time if executed at attractive valuation levels.
Operations and a representative Leidos product
Leidos Holdings is an industrial technology and professional services company focused on engineering, technological and scientific services, with activities that include defense, civil and health segments and significant exposure to U.S. government contracts, according to a company profile on MarketScreener that classifies the group within professional services and research and consulting services.
One representative product area for Leidos is its cybersecurity and secure networking solutions for government agencies and critical infrastructure, where the company delivers services to monitor network traffic, detect threats and support compliance with defense and civil security standards, contributing to recurring revenue streams within the broader engineering and technology portfolio.
Leidos Holdings stock and current price level
Leidos Holdings stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker LDOS, and recent data from MarketBeat show a closing price of USD 133.65 on September 2, 2026, with subsequent intraday quotes reported by Benzinga around USD 132.30 on September 3, 2026, indicating the shares currently trade modestly below the latest closing level and well below the director's recent sale price, in a range that investors may watch relative to the company’s fiscal 2026 EPS guidance and buyback capacity.
Leidos Holdings stock facts
- Company: Leidos Holdings, Inc.
- ISIN: US5253271028
- Ticker: LDOS
- Trading venue: NYSE
- Price (as of September 2, 2026): 133.65 USD
- Market capitalization: [value] USD (as of September 2, 2026)
- Sector / Industry: Industrials / Professional Services
- Index membership: S&P 500
