Lockheed Martin Powers First Crewed Moon Mission In 53 Years With Orion Launch

Lockheed Martin Corp. (NYSE:LMT) said Thursday that NASA’s Orion spacecraft reached a key milestone with the launch of the Artemis II mission, a critical step toward returning humans to the Moon. Built by Lockheed Martin, Orion lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida carrying four astronauts on a 10-day mission designed to validate the spacecraft’s deep-space capabilities. Mission Profile And Distance Targets The crew will complete two Earth orbits before traveling nearly 5,000 miles beyond the Moon’s far side, reaching a maximum distance of about 250,000 miles from Earth. The flight is expected to provide essential data ahead of future crewed lunar landings under NASA’s Artemis program. For Lockheed Martin, the mission underscores its leadership in human spaceflight and reinforces its role in next-generation exploration systems. Boeing Co. (NYSE:BA) completed the Space Launch System’s core stage for Artemis II and is preparing additional stages for Artemis III through V. These are already in production at facilities in Michoud, Louisiana, and Kennedy Space Center. L3Harris Technologies Inc. (NYSE:LHX) is also a key contributor, supplying more than 100 components for Artemis II. These include RS-25 and RL10 engines, Orion’s main engine and in-space thrusters, along with 40 advanced avionics units and the spacecraft’s audio system to support navigation and astronaut communications. Lockheed Martin at $617.68; MACD Bearish At $617.68, Lockheed Martin is trading 2.3% below its 20-day simple moving average (SMA) and 2.1% below its 50-day SMA, suggesting short-term weakness. However, the stock is trading 10.9% above its 100-day SMA and 21% above its 200-day SMA, indicating a stronger intermediate to long-term trend. The relative strength index (RSI) is currently at 45.29, which is considered neutral, suggesting that the stock is neither overbought nor oversold at this time. The moving average convergence divergence (MACD) shows a bearish signal, with the MACD line at -7.2378 and the signal line at -2.7403, indicating potential downward pressure. Key Resistance: $646.50 — A level where selling pressure has historically emerged. Key Support: $595.00 — A level that may attract buying interest if tested. Lockheed Martin has shown a 12-month performance of 36.38%, reflecting a strong upward trend over the past year. The stock is currently positioned well above its 52-week low of $410.11, suggesting robust demand and investor confidence in its long-term prospects. Lockheed Martin Earnings April 23; EPS Seen $6.74 Lockheed Martin is slated to provide its next financial update on April 23, 2026 (confirmed). EPS Estimate: $6.74 (Down from $7.28) Revenue Estimate: $18.33 Billion (Up from $17.96 Billion) Valuation: P/E of 28.7x (Indicates premium valuation) Analyst Consensus & Recent Actions: The stock carries a Hold Rating with an average price target of $592.38. Recent analyst moves include: Wells Fargo: Initiated with Equal-Weight (Target $650.00) (April 1) Susquehanna: Positive (Raises Target to $740.00) (March 18) Citigroup: Neutral (Raises Target to $673.00) (Feb. 5) Benzinga Edge: Quality 95.15, Momentum 85.47 Below is the Benzinga Edge scorecard for Lockheed Martin, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses compared to the broader market: Value: 26.07 — Indicates the stock is trading at a premium relative to peers. Growth: 32.11 — Suggests moderate growth potential compared to the market. Quality: 95.15 — Reflects strong fundamentals and operational efficiency. Momentum: 85.47 — Indicates strong price performance relative to the market. The Verdict: Lockheed Martin’s Benzinga Edge signal reveals a strong quality score, indicating solid fundamentals, while its value score suggests a premium valuation. The momentum score further supports the stock’s positive performance, suggesting that it may continue to attract investor interest. Lockheed Martin ETF Weights: PPA 9.06%, SHLD 8.86% iShares US Aerospace & Defense ETF (BATS:ITA): 5.18% Weight Global X Defense Tech ETF (NYSE:SHLD): 8.86% Weight Invesco Aerospace & Defense ETF (NYSE:PPA): 9.06% Weight Significance: Because LMT carries such a heavy weight in these funds, any significant inflows or outflows for these ETFs will likely force automatic buying or selling of the stock. LMT Price Action: Lockheed Martin shares were down 0.25% at $616.08 during premarket trading on Thursday, according to Benzinga Pro data. Photo via Shutterstock