AECOM (NYSE:ACM) Receives Average Recommendation of “Buy” from Analysts

Shares of AECOM (NYSE:ACM) have received a consensus rating of “Buy” from the eight analysts that are covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $119.38.

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on shares of AECOM from $113.00 to $122.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. StockNews.com raised shares of AECOM from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, October 27th. Truist Financial increased 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. KeyCorp boosted their price objective on AECOM from $115.00 to $122.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of AECOM in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. They set a “buy” rating and a $130.00 price target for the company.

AECOM Trading Up 0.9 %

Shares of ACM stock opened at $107.99 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $110.45 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $99.57. AECOM has a 12-month low of $82.23 and a 12-month high of $118.56. The company has a market capitalization of $14.30 billion, a PE ratio of 36.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.17.

AECOM (NYSE:ACM) last posted its earnings results on Monday, November 18th. The construction company reported $1.27 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.24 by $0.03. AECOM had a net margin of 2.50% and a return on equity of 25.46%. The firm had revenue of $1.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.86 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.01 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that AECOM will post 5.1 earnings per share for the current year.

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

AECOM Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 17th. Investors of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.26 per share. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.96%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 2nd. This is an increase from AECOM’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. AECOM’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 35.14%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Gaurav Kapoor sold 42,400 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.34, for a total value of $4,890,416.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 31,228 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,601,837.52. This represents a 57.59 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.42% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AECOM

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in AECOM by 5.3% in the second quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 3,338 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $294,000 after purchasing an additional 167 shares during the last quarter. Swedbank AB increased its position in AECOM by 13.6% during the second quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 72,823 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $6,419,000 after purchasing an additional 8,694 shares during the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its holdings in shares of AECOM by 4.7% during the 2nd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 3,102 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $273,000 after purchasing an additional 138 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lifted its stake in AECOM by 17.8% during the second quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 69,432 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $6,120,000 after purchasing an additional 10,508 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ninety One UK Ltd acquired a new position in shares of AECOM in the second quarter valued at approximately $46,109,000. 85.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AECOM Company Profile

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.