FactSet Research Systems Inc. (NYSE:FDS) has been assigned a $161.00 price objective by Morgan Stanley in a research report issued on Wednesday. The brokerage presently has a a “hold” rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley’s target price indicates a potential downside of 2.03% from the stock’s current price.
Several other research analysts also recently weighed in on FDS. Zacks Investment Research downgraded shares of FactSet Research Systems from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 21st. Credit Suisse Group AG reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $179.00 price objective on shares of FactSet Research Systems in a research note on Wednesday. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of FactSet Research Systems in a research note on Wednesday, June 29th. Raymond James Financial Inc. downgraded shares of FactSet Research Systems from a “market perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Barclays PLC increased their price objective on shares of FactSet Research Systems from $160.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 23rd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company. FactSet Research Systems currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $170.22.
Shares of FactSet Research Systems (NYSE:FDS) traded down 1.17% during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $162.42. 1,027,592 shares of the stock traded hands. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $176.49 and its 200-day moving average price is $162.30. The stock has a market cap of $6.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.37 and a beta of 0.68. FactSet Research Systems has a 12-month low of $135.95 and a 12-month high of $183.17.
FactSet Research Systems (NYSE:FDS) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, September 27th. The company reported $1.69 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.70 by $0.01. The firm earned $287.30 million during the quarter. FactSet Research Systems had a net margin of 23.30% and a return on equity of 47.11%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.48 EPS. Analysts predict that FactSet Research Systems will post $6.40 earnings per share for the current year.
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 20th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 31st were issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 29th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.22%. FactSet Research Systems’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 32.47%.
In related news, Director Joseph E. Laird, Jr. sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $165.00, for a total value of $165,000.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 2,500 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $412,500. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 2.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in FDS. Penserra Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in FactSet Research Systems by 37.7% in the second quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC now owns 712 shares of the company’s stock worth $115,000 after buying an additional 195 shares during the period. Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in FactSet Research Systems by 571.4% in the second quarter. Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. now owns 940 shares of the company’s stock worth $152,000 after buying an additional 800 shares during the period. Glenmede Trust Co. NA boosted its stake in FactSet Research Systems by 1.1% in the second quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 1,142 shares of the company’s stock worth $184,000 after buying an additional 12 shares during the period. Southeast Asset Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in FactSet Research Systems during the second quarter worth $202,000. Finally, Wesbanco Bank Inc. purchased a new stake in FactSet Research Systems during the second quarter worth $208,000. 92.87% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
FactSet Research Systems Company Profile
FactSet Research Systems Inc (FactSet) is a provider of integrated financial information and analytical applications to the global investment community. The Company operates through three segments based on geographic business activities: the U.S., Europe and Asia Pacific. Sales, consulting, data collection, product development and software engineering are the primary functional groups within the U.S., Europe and Asia Pacific segments that provide global financial and economic information to investment managers, investment banks and other financial services professionals.