Atria Investments Inc Buys 1,384 Shares of Jacobs Solutions Inc. (NYSE:J)

Atria Investments Inc boosted its stake in Jacobs Solutions Inc. (NYSE:J) by 9.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 16,236 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,384 shares during the period. Atria Investments Inc’s holdings in Jacobs Solutions were worth $2,169,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Jacobs Solutions by 4.3% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 145,574 shares of the company’s stock worth $19,056,000 after purchasing an additional 5,959 shares in the last quarter. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new stake in Jacobs Solutions in the 3rd quarter valued at $42,000. Lountzis Asset Management LLC raised its position in Jacobs Solutions by 17.7% in the 3rd quarter. Lountzis Asset Management LLC now owns 2,671 shares of the company’s stock valued at $350,000 after buying an additional 402 shares during the last quarter. Versor Investments LP purchased a new stake in Jacobs Solutions in the 3rd quarter valued at $406,000. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. raised its position in Jacobs Solutions by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 347,932 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,544,000 after buying an additional 3,228 shares during the last quarter. 85.65% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Jacobs Solutions Stock Performance

Shares of J opened at $124.62 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $132.92 and a 200-day moving average price of $138.56. The company has a market cap of $15.27 billion, a PE ratio of 25.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 0.77. Jacobs Solutions Inc. has a 12-month low of $110.95 and a 12-month high of $150.54. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41.

Jacobs Solutions (NYSE:J) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The company reported $1.33 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.29 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $2.93 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.92 billion. Jacobs Solutions had a return on equity of 14.87% and a net margin of 4.28%. Jacobs Solutions’s quarterly revenue was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.45 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Jacobs Solutions Inc. will post 6.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Jacobs Solutions announced that its board has authorized a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, February 4th that permits the company to buyback $1.50 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to purchase up to 9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are typically a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Jacobs Solutions Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 21st will be paid a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 21st. This is a boost from Jacobs Solutions’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.03%. Jacobs Solutions’s payout ratio is 26.39%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently commented on J. StockNews.com began coverage on Jacobs Solutions in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th. They issued a “hold” rating for the company. Citigroup decreased their target price on Jacobs Solutions from $161.00 to $160.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $150.00 target price on shares of Jacobs Solutions in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on Jacobs Solutions from $154.00 to $148.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. Finally, Benchmark lowered Jacobs Solutions from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $155.89.

About Jacobs Solutions

Jacobs Solutions Inc provides consulting, technical, engineering, scientific, and project delivery services for the government and private sectors in the United States, Europe, Canada, India, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, and Africa. It operates through Critical Mission Solutions, People & Places Solutions, Divergent Solutions, and PA Consulting segments.