Topic: How To Invest

Q: Can you update your opinion on General Dynamics? Thanking you in advance.

Article Excerpt

A: General Dynamics Corp., $161.18, symbol GD on New York (Shares outstanding: 286.5 million; Market cap: $45.7 billion; www.gd.com), operates through five main segments: Aerospace (25% of sales); Combat Systems (18%); Marine Systems (23%); Information Systems & Technology (21%); and Mission Systems (13%). The U.S. government accounts for 66% of its total revenues. Over the past five years, overall revenue and profit have risen steadily—except for a dip in 2020. Revenue gained 25.5%, from $31.4 billion in 2016 to $39.4 billion in 2019. Revenue then fell 3.8% in 2020, to $37.9 billion. That was due to COVID-19 and reduced spending by the company’s customers. Earnings rose 13.8%, from $3.1 billion, or $9.87 a share, in 2016, to $3.5 billion, or $11.98, in 2019. Earnings then fell 8.5% in 2020, to $3.2 billion, or $11.04. Meanwhile, the coronavirus pandemic continues to hurt the company’s performance: In the fourth quarter, ended December 31, 2020, revenue fell 2.7%, to $10.5 billion from $10.8 billion a year earlier…