By the Top Tier Newswire AI Desk · October 22, 2026 at 10:14 AM ET · reviewed against 38 wire stories
LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP (LMT) is up +6.71% in the latest session. Our newswire has captured 38 stories on LMT across 20 sources in the last 36 hours, with AI sentiment reading bullish (avg 66/100).
Lockheed Martin Corp (NYSE:LMT) shares rose 6.71% to $588.49 on Thursday. The primary driver was a third-quarter earnings report that exceeded estimates, coupled with a raised full-year outlook supported by a record backlog.
What Happened
The defense contractor reported third-quarter net sales of $20.7 billion, up 11% year over year, and earnings per share of $7.97, which beat consensus estimates of $7.43 to $7.51. Operating profit came in at $2.44 billion. The company raised its fiscal year outlook, citing a record backlog of $292 billion. The CFO indicated that 2026 sales for the Rotary and Mission Systems segment are expected between $17.7 billion and $18 billion, with segment operating profit forecast at $1.88 billion to $1.9 billion.
Simultaneously, Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Department of Defense announced a preliminary framework agreement for 850 F-35 Lightning II aircraft for the U.S. military, along with hundreds more for international customers. The deal includes spare parts and other gear, locking in future revenue. The stock had previously moved 3.5% lower over the last eight sessions, falling from $535.76 to $517.24 before this reversal.
What The Data Shows
The stock opened at $565.17, a 2.5% gap from the prior close of $551.51. It reached a session high of $608.00 at 9:35 AM ET and a low of $564.00 at 7:00 AM ET. Volume stood at 0.8 million shares, which is 0.7 times the three-month daily average. The company has a market capitalization of $126.6 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.3, and a dividend yield of 2.62%. Revenue grew 7.2% on a trailing twelve-month basis, and the net margin is 8.2%. The stock has a beta of 0.09.
In the 52-week range of $437.25 to $692.00, the stock printed six fresh 52-week highs and one fresh 52-week low on October 22, 2026. Recent insider activity includes two sells totaling $118,000 in the last 90 days, with the most recent filing on August 17, 2026. Congressional disclosures show eight sells and two buys in the last 90 days, with the most recent filing on October 13, 2026.
What To Watch
Investors will monitor the execution of the F-35 framework agreement and the company's ability to convert its record backlog into revenue. The breadth of coverage, with 38 stories from 20 sources in the last 36 hours, suggests continued focus on the defense sector's outlook.
AI-assisted analysis composed exclusively from headlines and data on the Top Tier newswire. Public view is delayed 4 hours from real time. Not financial advice.