AECOM (NYSE:ACM) Given Average Recommendation of “Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of AECOM (NYSE:ACM) have earned an average rating of “Buy” from the eight research firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $119.25.

A number of brokerages have commented on ACM. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of AECOM from $110.00 to $128.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. KeyCorp decreased their target price on shares of AECOM from $122.00 to $121.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Truist Financial raised 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. StockNews.com raised AECOM from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, October 27th. Finally, Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on shares of AECOM from $113.00 to $122.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th.

AECOM Trading Down 0.5 %

Shares of ACM stock opened at $109.29 on Thursday. AECOM has a 1-year low of $82.23 and a 1-year high of $118.56. 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 has a 50-day moving average of $110.56 and a two-hundred day moving average of $102.06. The firm has a market cap 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.

AECOM (NYSE:ACM) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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. The company had revenue of $1.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.86 billion. AECOM had a return on equity of 25.46% and a net margin of 2.50%. AECOM’s quarterly revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.01 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that AECOM will post 5.1 EPS for the current year.

AECOM Increases Dividend

The company 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. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 2nd. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.95%. This is a boost from AECOM’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. AECOM’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 35.14%.

AECOM announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase plan on Monday, November 18th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the construction company to reacquire up to 6.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Transactions at AECOM

In related news, CFO Gaurav Kapoor sold 42,400 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.34, for a total transaction 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. The trade was a 57.59 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.42% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of AECOM

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in ACM. Private Trust Co. NA bought a new position in AECOM in the third quarter worth $30,000. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its position in shares of AECOM by 4,242.9% during the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 304 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 297 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. raised its position 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 acquiring an additional 257 shares during the last quarter. Kathleen S. Wright Associates Inc. bought a new stake in shares of AECOM during the third quarter worth approximately $50,000. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in AECOM during the 3rd quarter worth $59,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.41% of the company’s stock.

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.