FactSet Research Systems Inc. (NYSE:FDS) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Reduce” from Brokerages

Shares of FactSet Research Systems Inc. (NYSE:FDS) have been assigned an average recommendation of “Reduce” from the twelve research firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and eight have assigned a hold rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $432.27.

FDS has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Bank of America cut shares of FactSet Research Systems from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and lowered their price target for the company from $500.00 to $407.00 in a report on Thursday, May 30th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $464.00 price objective on shares of FactSet Research Systems in a research report on Monday, June 24th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on shares of FactSet Research Systems from $455.00 to $378.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 5th. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on shares of FactSet Research Systems in a research note on Monday. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $435.00 price target for the company. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of FactSet Research Systems from $350.00 to $355.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Monday, June 24th.

Insider Buying and Selling at FactSet Research Systems

In other news, CEO Frederick Philip Snow sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $400.00, for a total transaction of $1,200,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 12,915 shares in the company, valued at $5,166,000. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other FactSet Research Systems news, CEO Frederick Philip Snow sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $400.00, for a total value of $1,200,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 12,915 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,166,000. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CTO Katherine M. Stepp sold 1,057 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $428.42, for a total transaction of $452,839.94. Following the transaction, the chief technology officer now directly owns 687 shares in the company, valued at $294,324.54. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 12,432 shares of company stock worth $5,117,216. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On FactSet Research Systems

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its holdings in shares of FactSet Research Systems by 144.4% in the 2nd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 66 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC increased its position in FactSet Research Systems by 750.0% during the 2nd quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC now owns 68 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares during the period. Quest Partners LLC increased its position in FactSet Research Systems by 6,700.0% during the 2nd quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 68 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares during the period. Criterion Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of FactSet Research Systems in the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Gladius Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in shares of FactSet Research Systems in the 2nd quarter worth about $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.24% of the company’s stock.

FactSet Research Systems Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:FDS opened at $401.06 on Wednesday. FactSet Research Systems has a 12 month low of $391.84 and a 12 month high of $488.64. The stock has a market cap of $15.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.25, a PEG ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 0.75. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $413.47 and its 200 day moving average price is $436.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 1.28 and a quick ratio of 1.79.

FactSet Research Systems (NYSE:FDS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, June 21st. The business services provider reported $4.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 company had revenue of $552.70 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $552.71 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $3.79 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that FactSet Research Systems will post 16.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

FactSet Research Systems Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 19th. Investors of record on Friday, August 30th will be paid a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.04%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 30th. FactSet Research Systems’s payout ratio is 31.37%.

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.