FactSet Research Systems (NYSE:FDS) Initiates Share Repurchase Program

FactSet Research Systems (NYSE:FDS) announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback plan on Thursday, December 18th, RTT News reports. The company plans to repurchase $600.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the business services provider to repurchase up to 5.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are generally a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on FDS shares. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an “underperform” rating and issued a $290.00 price objective on shares of FactSet Research Systems in a research note on Friday, November 14th. Huber Research upgraded shares of FactSet Research Systems to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Friday, September 19th. Evercore ISI cut their price objective on FactSet Research Systems from $394.00 to $328.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, September 19th. Barclays decreased their target price on FactSet Research Systems from $390.00 to $300.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 19th. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn raised FactSet Research Systems from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their target price for the stock from $415.00 to $370.00 in a research report on Friday, September 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $347.90.

FactSet Research Systems Stock Down 7.8%

NYSE FDS traded down $23.01 on Thursday, reaching $273.13. The stock had a trading volume of 2,249,043 shares, compared to its average volume of 837,038. The company has a current ratio of 1.40, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63. FactSet Research Systems has a 1 year low of $250.50 and a 1 year high of $496.90. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $278.96 and a 200 day moving average price of $348.99. The company has a market capitalization of $10.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.56, a P/E/G ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 0.75.

FactSet Research Systems (NYSE:FDS) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 18th. The business services provider reported $4.51 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.36 by $0.15. FactSet Research Systems had a net margin of 25.72% and a return on equity of 31.06%. The company had revenue of $607.62 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $599.69 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $4.37 EPS. FactSet Research Systems’s quarterly revenue was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. FactSet Research Systems has set its FY 2026 guidance at 16.900-17.600 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that FactSet Research Systems will post 17.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.

FactSet Research Systems Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 18th. Investors of record on Friday, November 28th will be given a dividend of $1.10 per share. This represents a $4.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 28th. FactSet Research Systems’s payout ratio is currently 28.30%.

Insider Buying and Selling at FactSet Research Systems

In other FactSet Research Systems news, insider Christopher Mcloughlin purchased 338 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 23rd. The shares were bought at an average cost of $296.19 per share, with a total value of $100,112.22. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 3,446 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,020,670.74. This represents a 10.88% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Helen L. Shan bought 370 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 6th. The shares were bought at an average price of $275.48 per share, with a total value of $101,927.60. Following the completion of the purchase, the executive vice president owned 9,284 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,557,556.32. The trade was a 4.15% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders have acquired 1,208 shares of company stock valued at $328,505 in the last 90 days. 1.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.