General Mills Lowers 2026 Outlook, Shares Drop
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Feb 17 2026
0mins
Source: CNBC
- General Mills Outlook Downgrade: General Mills has lowered its 2026 organic net sales forecast to a decline of 1.5% to 2%, with operating profit and adjusted EPS expected to fall by 16% to 20%, resulting in a 7% drop in shares, indicating market concerns about future growth.
- Southwest Airlines Stock Surge: Shares of Southwest Airlines rose over 6% after UBS upgraded its rating to buy, with analysts highlighting new initiatives like extra legroom and assigned seating that could attract more travelers, showcasing the company's proactive transformation in a competitive airline market.
- ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Surge: ZIM's shares surged 30% following the announcement that German-based Hapag-Lloyd will acquire ZIM for $4.2 billion, financed through cash and external funding, marking a significant consolidation in the shipping industry.
- Labcorp's Mixed Results: Labcorp reported a fourth-quarter EPS of $4.07, exceeding the $3.94 expected by analysts, yet shares fell over 3% due to concerns regarding the pace of organic revenue growth despite a positive earnings forecast.
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Analyst Views on LDOS
Wall Street analysts forecast LDOS stock price to rise
11 Analyst Rating
7 Buy
4 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 155.530
Low
178.00
Averages
219.70
High
235.00
Current: 155.530
Low
178.00
Averages
219.70
High
235.00
About LDOS
Leidos Holdings, Inc. is a holding company, which operates through its wholly owned subsidiary, Leidos, Inc. (Leidos). The Company’s segments include National Security & Digital, Health & Civil, Commercial & International and Defense Systems. Its National Security & Digital business provides technologically advanced services, solutions and products, as well as mission software capabilities for defense and intelligence customers in the areas of cyber, logistics, security operations and decision analytics. Its Health & Civil business provides services and solutions to federal and commercial customers in the areas of public health, care coordination, life and environmental sciences and transportation. Its Commercial & International business delivers a portfolio of products, services, and solutions aimed at securing national assets, modernizing energy and critical infrastructure, and enhancing mission outcomes. The Company serves government and commercial customers.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Leidos Completes $2.4 Billion Acquisition of ENTRUST Solutions Group
- Large-Scale Acquisition: Leidos has completed its approximately $2.4 billion acquisition of ENTRUST Solutions Group, effectively doubling its influence in the energy infrastructure market and significantly enhancing its competitiveness in grid modernization.
- Expanded Expertise: The acquisition adds over 3,100 professionals skilled in electric grid engineering and natural gas infrastructure to Leidos, further enhancing its engineering capabilities to meet rising power demands.
- Strengthened Strategic Positioning: This acquisition aligns with Leidos' NorthStar 2030 strategy, emphasizing the importance of the energy growth pillar and aims to deliver comprehensive infrastructure solutions that enhance grid security and reliability by integrating ENTRUST's capabilities.
- Market Demand Response: As utilities face accelerating load growth and resilience requirements, Leidos is better positioned to meet client needs through this acquisition, solidifying its status as a leading provider of power engineering and design services.
See More
Sysco's Jetro Acquisition Leads to Stock Drop
- Sysco Acquisition Deal: Sysco's agreement to acquire Jetro Restaurant Depot for an enterprise value of $29.1 billion has led to a 4.5% drop in its stock, reflecting market concerns about the integration despite the deal being termed 'immediately accretive' and expected to close in Q3 2027.
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Leidos Completes $2.4 Billion Acquisition of ENTRUST Solutions Group
- Acquisition Scale: Leidos has completed its approximately $2.4 billion acquisition of ENTRUST Solutions Group, effectively doubling its influence in the energy infrastructure market and significantly enhancing its competitiveness in grid modernization.
- Professional Team Expansion: This acquisition brings over 3,100 professionals with expertise in electric grid engineering and natural gas infrastructure to Leidos, further enhancing its engineering capabilities to better meet rising power demands.
- Strategic Significance: By integrating ENTRUST's capabilities, Leidos can deliver comprehensive infrastructure solutions that assist utilities in addressing load growth and resilience requirements, thereby solidifying its leadership in power engineering and design services.
- Long-term Investment Commitment: The acquisition aligns with Leidos' NorthStar 2030 strategy, emphasizing the company's long-term investment commitment to energy infrastructure and aiming to capture future growth opportunities in the energy sector.
See More
Leidos Partners with Cloud Giants to Enhance US Air Force Cloud Platform
- Significant Contract Value: Leidos Holdings, Inc. announced a $454.9 million contract to modernize the US Air Force's Cloud One platform, aiming to enhance security and automation while simplifying daily operations to enable faster deployment of mission-critical tasks.
- Multi-Cloud Transformation: The project will collaborate with Amazon Web Services, Azure, Google Cloud Platform, and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure to transform the Air Force's multi-cloud environment, ensuring a competitive edge in a rapidly evolving security landscape.
- Strategic Partnership: On March 10, Leidos entered into a strategic partnership with Dropzone AI to leverage agentic artificial intelligence for faster responses to cyber threats, reducing training requirements and allowing personnel to focus on more complex threats.
- Clear Market Positioning: Leidos focuses on providing scientific, engineering, and enterprise IT solutions to US federal agencies, particularly in defense, intelligence, and cybersecurity, showcasing its strong competitive edge in technological innovation and market demand.
See More
Iran War Drives Transformation in Defense Technology
- Cost-Effectiveness Demand: Defense Secretary's warning against using $2 million missiles to shoot down $20,000 drones highlights the urgent need for defense tech companies to accelerate the development of low-cost drones to meet modern warfare demands.
- Market Opportunities: The U.S. Department of Defense consumed $5.6 billion in munitions within two days of the Iran war outbreak, indicating a pressing need for new drone and counter-drone technologies, which is rapidly boosting valuations and market shares of related startups.
- Accelerated Technological Innovation: The U.S. has introduced the Low-cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS), priced at approximately $35,000, which is becoming a key technology in countering Iranian drone threats and is expected to attract more defense budget allocations.
- Intensified Industry Competition: Although spending in the defense tech sector accounted for less than 1% of contract dollars in 2025, startups like Anduril and Palantir have secured multi-billion dollar contracts, reflecting strong market demand for high-tech solutions.
See More
Iran War Drives Surge in U.S. Defense Tech Demand
- Drone Technology Deployment: The U.S. has deployed the Low-cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS) in the Iran war, costing approximately $35,000 per unit, marking one of the few new systems emerging and highlighting the urgent demand for low-cost technology that could reshape future combat strategies.
- Surge in Demand: Defense tech startups report skyrocketing demand since the U.S. first struck Iran, with many customers willing to buy out capacity or request ramped-up production, reflecting a strong appetite for innovative technologies in modern warfare.
- Budgetary Challenges: Despite defense tech accounting for less than 1% of contract dollars in 2025, the Trump administration's plan to raise military budgets to $1.5 trillion by 2027 could provide new opportunities for startups in the sector.
- Production Capacity Dilemma: Many defense tech firms face a dilemma over whether to scale production to meet clear demand signals without stable contracts, as the uncertainty surrounding government contracts complicates their expansion strategies.
See More
Leidos Completes $2.4 Billion Acquisition of ENTRUST Solutions Group
- Large-Scale Acquisition: Leidos has completed its approximately $2.4 billion acquisition of ENTRUST Solutions Group, effectively doubling its influence in the energy infrastructure market and significantly enhancing its competitiveness in grid modernization.
- Expanded Expertise: The acquisition adds over 3,100 professionals skilled in electric grid engineering and natural gas infrastructure to Leidos, further enhancing its engineering capabilities to meet rising power demands.
- Strengthened Strategic Positioning: This acquisition aligns with Leidos' NorthStar 2030 strategy, emphasizing the importance of the energy growth pillar and aims to deliver comprehensive infrastructure solutions that enhance grid security and reliability by integrating ENTRUST's capabilities.
- Market Demand Response: As utilities face accelerating load growth and resilience requirements, Leidos is better positioned to meet client needs through this acquisition, solidifying its status as a leading provider of power engineering and design services.
See More
Sysco's Jetro Acquisition Leads to Stock Drop
- Sysco Acquisition Deal: Sysco's agreement to acquire Jetro Restaurant Depot for an enterprise value of $29.1 billion has led to a 4.5% drop in its stock, reflecting market concerns about the integration despite the deal being termed 'immediately accretive' and expected to close in Q3 2027.
- Avis Stock Fluctuation: After a remarkable 48% surge last week, Avis shares fell over 9% as investors took profits amid chaos at U.S. airports, indicating market sensitivity to short-term gains and profit-taking behavior.
- Alcoa Price Surge: Alcoa's stock rose more than 9% as aluminum prices increased by over 4.5% following Iranian missile strikes on critical infrastructure in the Middle East, suggesting a bullish outlook on aluminum demand in the wake of geopolitical tensions.
- CrowdStrike Analyst Support: CrowdStrike shares gained over 2.5% after Wolfe Research upgraded the stock to outperform, with analysts believing the company will benefit from increased cyber risks associated with artificial intelligence, despite ongoing fears of AI disrupting cybersecurity technologies.
See More
Leidos Completes $2.4 Billion Acquisition of ENTRUST Solutions Group
- Acquisition Scale: Leidos has completed its approximately $2.4 billion acquisition of ENTRUST Solutions Group, effectively doubling its influence in the energy infrastructure market and significantly enhancing its competitiveness in grid modernization.
- Professional Team Expansion: This acquisition brings over 3,100 professionals with expertise in electric grid engineering and natural gas infrastructure to Leidos, further enhancing its engineering capabilities to better meet rising power demands.
- Strategic Significance: By integrating ENTRUST's capabilities, Leidos can deliver comprehensive infrastructure solutions that assist utilities in addressing load growth and resilience requirements, thereby solidifying its leadership in power engineering and design services.
- Long-term Investment Commitment: The acquisition aligns with Leidos' NorthStar 2030 strategy, emphasizing the company's long-term investment commitment to energy infrastructure and aiming to capture future growth opportunities in the energy sector.
See More
Leidos Partners with Cloud Giants to Enhance US Air Force Cloud Platform
- Significant Contract Value: Leidos Holdings, Inc. announced a $454.9 million contract to modernize the US Air Force's Cloud One platform, aiming to enhance security and automation while simplifying daily operations to enable faster deployment of mission-critical tasks.
- Multi-Cloud Transformation: The project will collaborate with Amazon Web Services, Azure, Google Cloud Platform, and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure to transform the Air Force's multi-cloud environment, ensuring a competitive edge in a rapidly evolving security landscape.
- Strategic Partnership: On March 10, Leidos entered into a strategic partnership with Dropzone AI to leverage agentic artificial intelligence for faster responses to cyber threats, reducing training requirements and allowing personnel to focus on more complex threats.
- Clear Market Positioning: Leidos focuses on providing scientific, engineering, and enterprise IT solutions to US federal agencies, particularly in defense, intelligence, and cybersecurity, showcasing its strong competitive edge in technological innovation and market demand.
See More
Iran War Drives Transformation in Defense Technology
- Cost-Effectiveness Demand: Defense Secretary's warning against using $2 million missiles to shoot down $20,000 drones highlights the urgent need for defense tech companies to accelerate the development of low-cost drones to meet modern warfare demands.
- Market Opportunities: The U.S. Department of Defense consumed $5.6 billion in munitions within two days of the Iran war outbreak, indicating a pressing need for new drone and counter-drone technologies, which is rapidly boosting valuations and market shares of related startups.
- Accelerated Technological Innovation: The U.S. has introduced the Low-cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS), priced at approximately $35,000, which is becoming a key technology in countering Iranian drone threats and is expected to attract more defense budget allocations.
- Intensified Industry Competition: Although spending in the defense tech sector accounted for less than 1% of contract dollars in 2025, startups like Anduril and Palantir have secured multi-billion dollar contracts, reflecting strong market demand for high-tech solutions.
See More
Iran War Drives Surge in U.S. Defense Tech Demand
- Drone Technology Deployment: The U.S. has deployed the Low-cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS) in the Iran war, costing approximately $35,000 per unit, marking one of the few new systems emerging and highlighting the urgent demand for low-cost technology that could reshape future combat strategies.
- Surge in Demand: Defense tech startups report skyrocketing demand since the U.S. first struck Iran, with many customers willing to buy out capacity or request ramped-up production, reflecting a strong appetite for innovative technologies in modern warfare.
- Budgetary Challenges: Despite defense tech accounting for less than 1% of contract dollars in 2025, the Trump administration's plan to raise military budgets to $1.5 trillion by 2027 could provide new opportunities for startups in the sector.
- Production Capacity Dilemma: Many defense tech firms face a dilemma over whether to scale production to meet clear demand signals without stable contracts, as the uncertainty surrounding government contracts complicates their expansion strategies.
See More
