Acadian Asset Management (NYSE:AAMI) Shares Gap Up - Still a Buy?

Key Points

• Shares gapped up premarket from $59.43 to an open of $61.81 and last traded around $61.48 on light volume (5,901 shares), trading well above its 50‑day ($53.17) and 200‑day ($49.64) moving averages.
• Analysts hold a consensus Hold rating (one Buy, four Hold) with an average price target of $53.33, although several firms recently raised targets to $54 or upgraded their view.
• Acadian reported quarterly EPS of $1.32 on $169.7M revenue and raised its quarterly dividend to $0.10 (annual $0.40, 0.6% yield); however, directors have recently sold sizable stakes while institutional ownership is reported as very high.

Shares of Acadian Asset Management Inc. (NYSE:AAMI - Get Free Report) gapped up prior to trading on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $59.43, but opened at $61.81. Acadian Asset Management shares last traded at $61.4820, with a volume of 5,901 shares trading hands.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently issued reports on AAMI. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Acadian Asset Management from $50.00 to $54.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Acadian Asset Management in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Acadian Asset Management from $52.00 to $54.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Acadian Asset Management from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $53.33.

Acadian Asset Management Stock Performance

The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $53.17 and its 200 day simple moving average is $49.64. The firm has a market cap of $2.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.02 and a beta of 1.26.

Acadian Asset Management (NYSE:AAMI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 27th. The company reported $1.32 EPS for the quarter. Acadian Asset Management had a net margin of 14.19% and a return on equity of 165.86%. The firm had revenue of $169.70 million during the quarter. On average, equities research analysts predict that Acadian Asset Management Inc. will post 2.78 earnings per share for the current year.

Acadian Asset Management Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 27th. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th were issued a $0.10 dividend. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 13th. This is a positive change from Acadian Asset Management's previous quarterly dividend of $0.01. Acadian Asset Management's payout ratio is 18.10%.

Insider Transactions at Acadian Asset Management

In related news, Director Robert J. Chersi sold 28,753 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.30, for a total value of $1,475,028.90. Following the sale, the director directly owned 37,384 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,917,799.20. This represents a 43.47% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Barbara Trebbi sold 9,691 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.22, for a total transaction of $496,373.02. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 35,771 shares in the company, valued at $1,832,190.62. This trade represents a 21.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 26.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Acadian Asset Management

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AAMI. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Acadian Asset Management in the 2nd quarter worth about $31,000. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Acadian Asset Management by 380.2% during the fourth quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 802 shares of the company's stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 635 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Acadian Asset Management during the second quarter worth approximately $61,000. WealthCollab LLC purchased a new position in shares of Acadian Asset Management during the second quarter worth approximately $65,000. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Acadian Asset Management during the second quarter worth approximately $97,000. 98.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Acadian Asset Management

Acadian Asset Management is a global investment management firm specializing in quantitative research and systematic strategies. Since its founding in 1986, the firm has developed data-driven models designed to identify and capture investment opportunities across equity and fixed income markets. By integrating advanced analytics, proprietary risk management tools and a disciplined investment process, Acadian seeks to deliver consistent performance for institutional clients.

The firm's core offerings include institutional equity portfolios, fixed income strategies and multi-asset solutions.

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