William Blair's Forecast for FactSet Research Systems Q1 Earnings

On December 19, 2024, analysts at William Blair adjusted their Q1 2026 earnings per share (EPS) forecasts for FactSet Research Systems Inc. (NYSE:FDS). William Blair's analyst A. Nicholas now estimates that the firm's EPS will be $4.59 for the quarter, a decrease from the previous estimate of $4.70. The consensus for FactSet’s full-year earnings stands at $17.20 per share. Additionally, the firm provided earnings projections for the following quarters: $4.56 EPS for Q2 2026, $4.88 EPS for Q3 2026, and $4.65 EPS for Q4 2026.

The stock of FactSet has been the subject of various research assessments recently. Royal Bank of Canada maintained a “sector perform” rating and set a target price of $503.00 per share for FactSet. In another report, Wells Fargo & Company increased their target from $435.00 to $503.00, assigning an “equal weight” rating. Redburn Atlantic's report downgraded the stock from “neutral” to “sell,” adjusting the price target from $420.00 down to $380.00. Moreover, Morgan Stanley also raised their target from $373.00 to $409.00, but assigned an “underweight” rating.

Stifel Nicolaus increased their objective from $469.00 to $493.00, maintaining a “hold” rating. Presently, five investment analysts suggest selling the stock while eight recommend holding. According to MarketBeat.com, FactSet Research Systems currently holds a consensus rating of “Hold” with a price target averaging $453.46.

FactSet's Stock Performance

On Monday, the stock opened at $489.34, reflecting a 1.2% increase. FactSet maintains a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 1.25, and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The company's market capitalization is $18.59 billion, with a price-to-earnings (PE) ratio of 35.20 and a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.15, showing a beta of 0.76. Over the past year, FactSet's stock has fluctuated between a low of $391.84 and a high of $499.87. The 50-day moving average stands at $477.45, while the 200-day moving average is at $443.47.

Recent Earnings Results

FactSet released its most recent quarterly earnings on December 19, 2024. The company reported an EPS of $4.37, exceeding the consensus estimate of $4.25 by $0.12. The revenue for the quarter was $568.70 million, above the expected $565.14 million. FactSet achieved a net margin of 24.38% and a return on equity of 34.77%. Compared to the same quarter last year, the quarterly revenue saw an increase of 4.9%, while the previous year’s EPS amount was $4.12.

Dividend Announcement

Recently, FactSet announced a quarterly dividend which was paid on December 19th. Shareholders who were on record as of November 29th received a dividend of $1.04 per share, amounting to an annualized dividend of $4.16. This reflects a dividend yield of 0.85%, and FactSet’s current dividend payout ratio is 29.82%.

Insider Activity

In terms of insider transactions, John Costigan, an insider at FactSet, sold 1,622 shares on November 11th at an average price of $481.00, totaling $780,182.00. Following this transaction, Costigan retained 299 shares of the company, now valued at around $143,819, marking an 84.44% reduction in his holdings. EVP Christopher R. Ellis also sold 13,952 shares on September 26th at an average price of $456.15, resulting in a total value of approximately $6.36 million. Following this transaction, he now holds 23,515 shares valued at about $10.73 million, indicating a 37.24% decrease in his position. Over the last three months, insiders have sold a total of 23,984 shares, valued at $10.98 million, while insider ownership currently stands at 1.10% of total shares.

Institutional Investments

Several institutional investors have made recent changes to their holdings of FactSet. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in the company valued at approximately $26,000 during the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. increased its stake by 144.4% in the second quarter, now holding 66 shares worth about $27,000 after adding 39 shares. Crewe Advisors LLC expanded their stake by a substantial 750.0%, acquiring an additional 60 shares, bringing their total to 68 shares valued at $28,000. Quest Partners LLC similarly increased its stakes significantly, now owning 68 shares after purchasing an additional 67 shares, also valued at $28,000. In conclusion, around 91.24% of FactSet’s stock is currently held by institutional investors.

About the Company

FactSet Research Systems Inc. provides integrated financial information and analytical applications to the investment community across various regions, including the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. The company aims to deliver insightful information through its various solutions in research, analytics, trading, and wealth management.

Earnings, Forecast, Stocks