FactSet Research Systems (NYSE:FDS) Price Target Raised to $355.00 at Morgan Stanley

FactSet Research Systems (NYSE:FDS) had its target price hoisted by Morgan Stanley from $350.00 to $355.00 in a research note issued to investors on Monday morning, Benzinga reports. Morgan Stanley currently has an underweight rating on the business services provider’s stock.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Stifel Nicolaus reissued a hold rating and set a $469.00 price objective on shares of FactSet Research Systems in a report on Friday, March 22nd. Barclays reissued an equal weight rating and set a $460.00 price objective (down previously from $480.00) on shares of FactSet Research Systems in a report on Friday, March 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on FactSet Research Systems from $455.00 to $378.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, June 5th. Bank of America downgraded FactSet Research Systems from a neutral rating to an underperform rating and cut their target price for the stock from $500.00 to $407.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 30th. Finally, Oppenheimer restated a market perform rating on shares of FactSet Research Systems in a research report on Friday, March 22nd. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and eight have given a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $432.00.

FactSet Research Systems Stock Performance

FDS opened at $415.00 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $15.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 0.74. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $422.97 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $447.53. The company has a quick ratio of 1.79, a current ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. FactSet Research Systems has a 12-month low of $385.27 and a 12-month high of $488.64.

FactSet Research Systems (NYSE:FDS) last released its earnings results on Friday, June 21st. The business services provider reported $4.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.91 by $0.46. FactSet Research Systems had a return on equity of 34.48% and a net margin of 23.56%. The firm had revenue of $552.70 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $552.71 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.79 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that FactSet Research Systems will post 16.33 earnings per share for the current year.

FactSet Research Systems Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 31st were given a $1.04 dividend. This is an increase from FactSet Research Systems’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.98. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 31st. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.00%. FactSet Research Systems’s payout ratio is presently 31.37%.

Insider Buying and Selling at FactSet Research Systems

In other FactSet Research Systems news, CAO Gregory T. Moskoff sold 330 shares of FactSet Research Systems stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $419.50, for a total value of $138,435.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 72 shares in the company, valued at approximately $30,204. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, CEO Frederick Philip Snow sold 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $452.10, for a total transaction of $1,356,300.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 12,915 shares in the company, valued at $5,838,871.50. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CAO Gregory T. Moskoff sold 330 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $419.50, for a total value of $138,435.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 72 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $30,204. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 27,419 shares of company stock worth $11,735,373. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On FactSet Research Systems

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in FDS. Criterion Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of FactSet Research Systems during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of FactSet Research Systems by 69.4% during the fourth quarter. Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc. now owns 83 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the period. Smithfield Trust Co grew its stake in shares of FactSet Research Systems by 51.6% during the fourth quarter. Smithfield Trust Co now owns 94 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares during the period. CVA Family Office LLC acquired a new stake in shares of FactSet Research Systems during the fourth quarter worth $49,000. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of FactSet Research Systems by 36.9% during the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 141 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $65,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 91.24% of the company’s stock.

About FactSet Research Systems

FactSet Research Systems Inc, a financial data company, provides integrated financial information and analytical applications to the investment community in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. The company delivers insight and information through the workflow solutions of research, analytics and trading, content and technology solutions, and wealth.