AECOM (NYSE:ACM) Shares Sold by NFJ Investment Group LLC

NFJ Investment Group LLC reduced its position in AECOM (NYSE:ACM) by 9.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,687 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 295 shares during the quarter. NFJ Investment Group LLC’s holdings in AECOM were worth $277,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of ACM. Private Trust Co. NA acquired a new stake in shares of AECOM in the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Family Firm Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of AECOM in the second quarter valued at approximately $31,000. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its holdings 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 during the period. UMB Bank n.a. lifted 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 purchasing an additional 257 shares during the period. Finally, Kathleen S. Wright Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of AECOM during the third quarter worth $50,000. 85.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AECOM Trading Up 0.2 %

NYSE:ACM opened at $114.93 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $108.72 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $97.61. The stock has a market capitalization of $15.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.83, a PEG ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 1.13. 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 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. AECOM had a return on equity of 25.46% and a net margin of 2.50%. The business had revenue of $1.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.86 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.01 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that AECOM will post 5.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AECOM Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared 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 is Thursday, January 2nd. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.90%. This is a boost from AECOM’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. AECOM’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.73%.

AECOM announced that its board has approved a share repurchase plan on Monday, November 18th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the construction company to buy up to 6.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are typically an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on ACM shares. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on AECOM from $112.00 to $113.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. StockNews.com raised AECOM from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday, October 27th. Barclays increased their price target on AECOM from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th. KeyCorp increased their price target on AECOM from $115.00 to $122.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, November 7th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on AECOM in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $130.00 price objective for the company. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AECOM currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $119.38.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Gaurav Kapoor sold 42,400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 31,228 shares in the company, valued at $3,601,837.52. This trade represents a 57.59 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.42% of the company’s stock.

About AECOM

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.