AECOM (NYSE:ACM) Short Interest Update

AECOM (NYSE:ACM) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 2,430,000 shares, a growth of 41.3% from the January 15th total of 1,720,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 932,100 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.6 days. Approximately 1.8% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AECOM

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Principal Securities Inc. raised its position in shares of AECOM by 95.9% in the fourth quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 237 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 116 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP raised its holdings in AECOM by 390.6% in the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 260 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 207 shares during the last quarter. Private Trust Co. NA acquired a new position in AECOM in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its stake in shares of 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 period. Finally, National Pension Service acquired a new stake in shares of AECOM during the fourth quarter worth $32,000. 85.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AECOM Stock Up 0.3 %

Shares of NYSE ACM opened at $102.46 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $108.19 and its two-hundred day moving average is $104.81. The company has a market capitalization of $13.59 billion, a PE ratio of 28.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 1.19. AECOM has a 12-month low of $82.23 and a 12-month high of $118.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.14 and a quick ratio of 1.13.

AECOM (NYSE:ACM) last posted its earnings results on Monday, February 3rd. The construction company reported $1.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.10 by $0.21. AECOM had a return on equity of 26.84% and a net margin of 2.93%. Equities analysts anticipate that AECOM will post 5.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AECOM declared that its board has initiated a share buyback plan on Monday, November 18th that permits the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the construction company to purchase up to 6.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

AECOM Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 17th. Investors of record on Thursday, January 2nd were given a dividend of $0.26 per share. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.02%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, January 2nd. This is a boost from AECOM’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. AECOM’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.55%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Barclays increased their price target on shares of AECOM from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of AECOM in a report on Friday, November 22nd. They set a “buy” rating and a $130.00 price target for the company. Truist Financial increased their target price on shares of AECOM from $119.00 to $129.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of AECOM from $128.00 to $127.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of AECOM from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday, October 27th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $120.38.

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.