FactSet Research Systems Inc. (NYSE:FDS) Given Average Rating of "Reduce" by Brokerages

Shares of FactSet Research Systems Inc. (NYSE:FDS - Get Free Report) have earned a consensus rating of "Reduce" from the nine brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation and five have issued a hold recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $436.90.

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on FDS shares. UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of FactSet Research Systems from $525.00 to $480.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 21st. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on FactSet Research Systems from $409.00 to $390.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 21st. Wells Fargo & Company lowered FactSet Research Systems from an "equal weight" rating to an "underweight" rating and reduced their target price for the company from $450.00 to $402.00 in a research report on Friday, March 21st. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a "sector perform" rating and issued a $503.00 price target on shares of FactSet Research Systems in a report on Monday, March 10th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on shares of FactSet Research Systems from $469.00 to $493.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, December 20th.

FactSet Research Systems Trading Up 0.9 %

NYSE:FDS traded up $4.06 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $437.06. The stock had a trading volume of 395,745 shares, compared to its average volume of 285,326. The company has a quick ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 1.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $442.69 and a 200 day moving average of $462.15. The company has a market capitalization of $16.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.33, a PEG ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 0.82. FactSet Research Systems has a one year low of $391.69 and a one year high of $499.87.

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FactSet Research Systems (NYSE:FDS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 20th. The business services provider reported $4.28 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.17 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $570.70 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $570.65 million. FactSet Research Systems had a net margin of 24.16% and a return on equity of 33.92%. The company's revenue was up 4.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $4.22 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that FactSet Research Systems will post 17.21 EPS for the current year.

FactSet Research Systems Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 20th. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th were given a dividend of $1.04 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 28th. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.95%. FactSet Research Systems's dividend payout ratio is presently 29.59%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CAO Gregory T. Moskoff sold 363 shares of FactSet Research Systems stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $433.73, for a total transaction of $157,443.99. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 44 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,084.12. This trade represents a 89.19 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 1.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On FactSet Research Systems

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its stake in shares of FactSet Research Systems by 1.6% in the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,470 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $668,000 after purchasing an additional 23 shares in the last quarter. USA Financial Formulas acquired a new position in FactSet Research Systems in the 1st quarter valued at $195,000. CX Institutional acquired a new position in FactSet Research Systems during the first quarter worth about $60,000. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its position in shares of FactSet Research Systems by 160.2% in the first quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 2,766 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $1,258,000 after purchasing an additional 1,703 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Accurate Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of FactSet Research Systems during the 1st quarter worth $2,561,000. 91.24% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.