Lockheed Martin Corp.’s LMT steady inflow of orders for its diverse defense products is likely to boost its revenues. The company also gains from its presence in the international defense market and a solid backlog.
However, this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company faces risks like the shortage of skilled labor and sanctions imposed by China.
Tailwinds Favoring LMT
In the third quarter of 2024, Lockheed kept up with its tradition of securing several significant contracts from the Pentagon and other American allies. These include a $520 million contract to begin production tasks of the Viper Shield electronic warfare suite for the F-16 Block 70/72 aircraft. Such contracts lead to a solid backlog count, which boosts LMT’s revenue generation prospects.
Lockheed Martin's products not only have an impressive domestic market presence but also gain international recognition. International customers have shown great interest in its Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missiles and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, with 15 nations choosing the PAC-3 Cost Reduction Initiative and PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement to improve their capacity for missile defense.
Lockheed’s total backlog came in at a solid $165.69 billion as of Sept. 29, 2024. Such a consistent level of contract flows and subsequent backlog growth bolster its long-term revenue prospects. The company intends to recognize roughly 36% of its backlog in the next 12 months and 59% in the following 24 months.
Headwinds Faced by LMT
Industry participants like Lockheed continue to be at risk from the labor crisis, particularly with regard to skilled workers. These labor shortages may make it difficult for manufacturing companies like Lockheed to deliver finished products on schedule, which might affect its operating performance going forward.
In 2023, the China Ministry of Commerce declared that Lockheed had been placed on its list of "unreliable entities" in relation to certain foreign military sales made by the U.S. government to Taiwan involving LMT’s products and services. In this regard, China declared it would impose certain sanctions against Lockheed. If China imposes further sanctions on LMT, the company's business may suffer.
LMT Stock Price Movement
In the past six months, shares of LMT have risen 6.9% against the industry’s decline of 2.3%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Stocks to Consider
Some better-ranked stocks from the same sector are Leonardo DRS, Inc. DRS, Leidos Holdings, Inc. LDOS and Triumph Group, Inc. TGI, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Leonardo DRS delivered an average earnings surprise of 22.27% in the last four quarters. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for DRS’ total revenues for 2024 stands at $3.2 billion, which indicates growth of 13.2% from the 2023 reported figure.
LDOS’ delivered an average earnings surprise of 29.92% in the last four quarters. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for LDOS’ total revenues for 2024 stands at $16.39 billion, which calls for year-over-year growth of 6.1%.
TGI delivered an average earnings surprise of 100.48% in the last four quarters. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for TGI’s fiscal 2025 earnings is pegged at 62 cents per share, which implies a massive rise of 1,133.3%.
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