AECOM (NYSE:ACM) Receives Consensus Rating of “Buy” from Analysts

AECOM (NYSE:ACM) has received an average recommendation of “Buy” from the eight ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a buy recommendation. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $119.25.

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on ACM. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of AECOM from $110.00 to $128.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. StockNews.com raised AECOM from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, October 27th. KeyCorp decreased their price objective on AECOM from $122.00 to $121.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on AECOM in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $130.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their price target on AECOM from $119.00 to $129.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 22nd.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Gaurav Kapoor sold 42,400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 6th. The shares were 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 directly owns 31,228 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,601,837.52. This trade represents a 57.59 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.42% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AECOM

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Private Trust Co. NA purchased a new stake in shares of AECOM during the third quarter worth approximately $30,000. True Wealth Design LLC boosted its stake in AECOM by 4,242.9% during 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 last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. grew its holdings in shares of AECOM by 196.2% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 388 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 257 shares in the last quarter. Kathleen S. Wright Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of AECOM in the third quarter valued at about $50,000. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in AECOM during the 3rd quarter valued at about $59,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.41% of the company’s stock.

AECOM Price Performance

Shares of ACM opened at $109.29 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $14.48 billion, a PE ratio of 36.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.92 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 company’s fifty day moving average price is $110.56 and its 200-day moving average price is $102.06. AECOM has a 1-year low of $82.23 and a 1-year high of $118.56.

AECOM (NYSE:ACM) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 18th. The construction company reported $1.27 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.24 by $0.03. AECOM had a return on equity of 25.46% and a net margin of 2.50%. The business had revenue of $1.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.86 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.01 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that AECOM will post 5.1 EPS for the current year.

AECOM declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback 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 generally an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

AECOM Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 17th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be given a $0.26 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 2nd. This is a boost from AECOM’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.95%. AECOM’s payout ratio is 35.14%.

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.