Lockheed Martin Stock Price, News & Analysis

Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) has elected Admiral John C. Aquilino to its board of directors, effective immediately. Aquilino, who recently served as the 26th commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command until July 2024, brings extensive military leadership experience to the board. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN), Aquilino's career includes commanding roles in the U.S. Pacific Fleet, Fifth Fleet, and Naval Forces Central Command. He will serve as an independent director on the Classified Business and Security Committee, contributing to Lockheed Martin's 21st Century Security® strategy.

Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) has appointed Kevin O'Connor as senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary, effective January 13. O'Connor, who previously served as senior vice president and chief legal officer at Carrier, will succeed Maryanne Lavan, who is retiring after a 34-year career with the company. Lavan will remain as a strategic advisor through Q1 2025 to ensure a smooth transition. CEO Jim Taiclet praised O'Connor's leadership and commitment to the company's 21st Century Security® vision, emphasizing the focus on delivering cutting-edge capabilities to the United States and allies.

Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) has announced that CFO Jay Malave will deliver a presentation at the UBS Global Industrials & Transportation Conference on Tuesday, Dec. 3, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:40 a.m. ET. The presentation will be accessible through a live webcast on the company's investor relations website. An audio replay of the presentation will remain available for two weeks after the event.

Lockheed Martin Skunk Works®, along with its Demonstrations and Prototypes organization and the University of Iowa's Operator Performance Laboratory, successfully demonstrated a crewed-uncrewed teaming mission. The test involved a human battle manager aboard an L-39 Albatros commanding AI-controlled L-29 Delfin jets through a touchscreen interface during simulated offensive counter air missions. The AI-controlled aircraft worked collaboratively to defeat mock enemy jets using simulated systems and weapons. This third test builds upon previous experiments in AI-controlled air-to-ground operations, marking the first inclusion of real-time human battle management overseeing AI actions.

Romania has signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance to acquire 32 F-35 Lightning II aircraft from Lockheed Martin through a U.S. Foreign Military Sale, becoming the 20th member of the F-35 global alliance. The integration will enhance NATO's deterrence capabilities and Romania's national security. The aircraft will work seamlessly with Romania's existing F-16 fleet, supported by the European F-16 Training Center established in Romania. Currently, over 1,000 F-35s are operational globally across 33 bases in 10 nations, with more than 940,000 flight hours logged.

Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, in collaboration with NASA Aeronautics, has initiated X-59 engine run testing, marking the final major system evaluation before taxi tests and first flight. This milestone represents the first time the X-59 operates on full internal power, focusing on verifying inlet and nozzle performance, structural interfaces, and engine control algorithms. The testing phase will include evaluations for electromagnetic interference, simulated in-flight failure modes, and emergency power system validation, followed by low-speed and high-speed taxi tests. The X-59 is designed to achieve quiet supersonic flight and aims to transform future commercial air travel.

Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) and the U.S. Navy achieved a significant milestone in unmanned aviation with the first-ever live control flight demonstration of an uncrewed system using the Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control Station (UMCS). The demonstration involved controlling a General Atomics MQ-20 Avenger using Skunk Works® MDCX™ autonomy platform. Navy Air Vehicle Pilots in Maryland successfully controlled the MQ-20 during its flight in California, demonstrating beyond line-of-sight capabilities. This advancement supports the Navy's Carrier Air Wing of the Future vision and marks progress in developing common control architecture for crewed-uncrewed teaming programs.

Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) has completed its acquisition of Terran Orbital, a manufacturer of modular spacecraft serving aerospace and defense industries. The acquisition includes Terran's subsidiary, Tyvak International. The combined entity will leverage Terran's customizable spacecraft platforms with Lockheed's mission system integration expertise to enhance space capabilities.

Operating under Terran Orbital, a Lockheed Martin Company, the business will maintain its merchant supplier status while operating through Lockheed's Space business area. The company will focus on satellite design, production, launch planning, mission operations, and in-orbit support from its locations across Florida, California, Georgia, Virginia, and Italy.

Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] reported third quarter 2024 financial results, with net sales of $17.1 billion, a 1% increase year-over-year. Net earnings were $1.6 billion, or $6.80 per share. The company generated $2.4 billion in cash from operations and $2.1 billion in free cash flow. Lockheed Martin returned $1.6 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases.

Key highlights include:

• Increased share repurchase authority by $3.0 billion to $10.3 billion
• Raised quarterly dividend by 5% to $3.30 per share
• Increased 2024 financial outlook
• Record backlog of over $165 billion
• 48 F-35 deliveries in the quarter

The company is currently negotiating the F-35 Lots 18-19 production contract with the U.S. Government, which has impacted revenue recognition and cash flow in Q3 2024.