ACI Worldwide (NASDAQ:ACIW) Stock Price Crosses Above 200 Day Moving Average - Here's Why

Key Points

• ACI Worldwide's share price briefly crossed above its 200-day moving average (200-day = $44.83), trading as high as $44.86 before last trading at $44.25 on volume of about 542,744 shares.
• The company missed quarterly EPS ($0.90 vs. $1.05 est.) but beat revenue expectations ($481.6M vs. $465.2M) with revenue up 6.3% year-over-year, and analysts carry an average Hold rating with a consensus price target of $60 and expected FY EPS of 2.53.
• Insiders (including Directors Juan Benitez II and Adalio T. Sanchez) recently bought shares, while institutional investors own roughly 94.7% of the stock, despite insiders holding only about 1.10% overall.

ACI Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ:ACIW - Get Free Report)'s share price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $44.83 and traded as high as $44.86. ACI Worldwide shares last traded at $44.25, with a volume of 542,744 shares.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Zacks Research downgraded shares of ACI Worldwide from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of ACI Worldwide from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $60.00.

ACI Worldwide Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $4.50 billion, a PE ratio of 20.39 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a current ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 1.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $41.00 and its 200 day simple moving average is $44.83.

ACI Worldwide (NASDAQ:ACIW - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The technology company reported $0.90 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.05 by ($0.15). The company had revenue of $481.60 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $465.20 million. ACI Worldwide had a return on equity of 16.44% and a net margin of 12.88%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 6.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.08 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that ACI Worldwide, Inc. will post 2.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at ACI Worldwide

In related news, Director Juan Benitez II purchased 2,400 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were acquired at an average price of $41.90 per share, for a total transaction of $100,560.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 16,881 shares in the company, valued at $707,313.90. This trade represents a 16.57% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Adalio T. Sanchez bought 3,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The shares were acquired at an average price of $40.98 per share, for a total transaction of $122,940.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 64,378 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,638,210.44. This represents a 4.89% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. 1.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of ACI Worldwide

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its position in shares of ACI Worldwide by 166.7% during the 3rd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 378,990 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $19,999,000 after buying an additional 236,878 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position in shares of ACI Worldwide by 39.0% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 249,533 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $13,168,000 after buying an additional 69,964 shares in the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC purchased a new stake in shares of ACI Worldwide during the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,427,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its position in shares of ACI Worldwide by 19.1% during the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 1,014,534 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $53,537,000 after buying an additional 162,427 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Weitz Investment Management Inc. raised its position in shares of ACI Worldwide by 19.9% during the 3rd quarter. Weitz Investment Management Inc. now owns 366,800 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $19,356,000 after buying an additional 60,800 shares in the last quarter. 94.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About ACI Worldwide

ACI Worldwide NASDAQ: ACIW is a global software company that provides electronic payment and banking solutions to financial institutions, merchants and billers. The company's platforms enable real-time processing of credit, debit, ACH, bill payments, faster payments and money transfers, as well as integrated fraud prevention services. Headquartered in Naples, Florida, ACI serves clients across banking, payments and commerce sectors worldwide.

ACI's modular suite of applications can be deployed on-premise, in the cloud or in hybrid environments to meet diverse operational needs.

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