AECOM (NYSE:ACM) Receives Consensus Rating of "Buy" from Brokerages

Shares of AECOM (NYSE:ACM - Get Free Report) have received an average recommendation of "Buy" from the eight ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $120.38.

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Truist Financial upped their price objective on shares of AECOM from $119.00 to $129.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. Barclays boosted their price target on AECOM from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday. Robert W. Baird lowered their price objective on AECOM from $125.00 to $117.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Citigroup dropped their target price on AECOM from $128.00 to $127.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of AECOM in a report on Friday, November 22nd. They issued a "buy" rating and a $130.00 target price for the company.

AECOM Price Performance

Shares of ACM stock traded up $3.19 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $108.12. 1,059,739 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,021,051. The firm has a market cap of $14.34 billion, a PE ratio of 36.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 1.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 1.13. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $109.11 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $104.20. AECOM has a 1-year low of $82.23 and a 1-year high of $118.56.

AECOM (NYSE:ACM - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, February 3rd. The construction company reported $1.31 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.10 by $0.21. AECOM had a return on equity of 25.46% and a net margin of 2.50%. On average, equities research analysts expect that AECOM will post 5.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AECOM announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase program on Monday, November 18th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the construction company to repurchase up to 6.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often an indication that the company's management believes its shares are undervalued.

AECOM Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 17th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 2nd were paid a $0.26 dividend. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.96%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, January 2nd. This is an increase from AECOM's previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. AECOM's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 35.14%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ACM. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its holdings in AECOM by 1.5% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 6,162 shares of the construction company's stock worth $655,000 after buying an additional 91 shares during the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its position in shares of AECOM by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 9,459 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $977,000 after acquiring an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its stake in AECOM by 1.4% during the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 7,830 shares of the construction company's stock worth $809,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. Avitas Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in AECOM by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Avitas Wealth Management LLC now owns 18,939 shares of the construction company's stock worth $2,023,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares during the period. Finally, Principal Securities Inc. increased its stake in AECOM by 95.9% during the fourth quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 237 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares during the last quarter. 85.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About AECOM

AECOM, together with its subsidiaries, provides professional infrastructure consulting services worldwide. It operates in three segments: Americas, International, and AECOM Capital. The company offers planning, consulting, architectural and engineering design, construction and program management, and investment and development services to public and private clients.