AECOM (NYSE:ACM) Sees Significant Increase in Short Interest

AECOM (NYSE:ACM - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest during the month of January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 2,430,000 shares, an increase of 41.3% from the January 15th total of 1,720,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 932,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.6 days. Currently, 1.8% of the company's stock are short sold.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently issued reports on ACM. KeyCorp decreased their price target on AECOM from $122.00 to $121.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of AECOM from $128.00 to $127.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of AECOM in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. They set a "buy" rating and a $130.00 price target on the stock. Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on shares of AECOM from $125.00 to $117.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their target price on shares of AECOM from $119.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $120.38.

AECOM Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:ACM traded up $1.16 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $101.57. The company had a trading volume of 1,372,884 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,002,480. AECOM has a one year low of $82.23 and a one year high of $118.56. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. The company's 50-day moving average price is $107.44 and its 200-day moving average price is $105.14. The firm has a market cap of $13.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.85, a PEG ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 1.19.

AECOM (NYSE:ACM - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly 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 26.84% and a net margin of 2.93%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that AECOM will post 5.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AECOM declared that its board has authorized a stock repurchase program on Monday, November 18th that allows the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the construction company to buy up to 6.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are usually a sign that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Institutional Trading of AECOM

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Principal Securities Inc. raised its holdings in AECOM by 95.9% during the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 237 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 116 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP grew its position in shares of AECOM by 390.6% in the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 260 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 207 shares in the last quarter. Private Trust Co. NA bought a new stake in shares of AECOM during the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. National Pension Service purchased a new stake in AECOM during the 4th quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC boosted its stake in AECOM by 4,242.9% in the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 304 shares of the construction company's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 297 shares during the period. 85.41% of the stock is currently 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.