AECOM (NYSE:ACM) Hits New 52-Week High After Strong Earnings

Key Points

• AECOM reached a 52-week high of $121.17 following an earnings report that exceeded expectations, reporting $1.34 earnings per share compared to the consensus estimate of $1.25.
• The company has announced a quarterly dividend of $0.26 with an annual yield of 0.9%, reflecting a dividend payout ratio of 22.66%.
• Several analysts have raised their price targets for AECOM, with the average price target now at $125.86, indicating a generally positive outlook for the stock.

AECOM (NYSE:ACM - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high on Tuesday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The company traded as high as $121.17 and last traded at $119.44, with a volume of 163969 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $111.94.

The construction company reported $1.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.09. AECOM had a net margin of 3.82% and a return on equity of 27.87%. The company had revenue of $1.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.33 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.16 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year.

AECOM Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 18th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 2nd were paid a $0.26 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, July 2nd. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. AECOM's dividend payout ratio is currently 22.66%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on ACM shares. Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on shares of AECOM from $108.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. Citigroup reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $137.00 price target (up previously from $122.00) on shares of AECOM in a research report on Monday, July 28th. KeyCorp increased their price objective on shares of AECOM from $129.00 to $131.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on AECOM from $123.00 to $126.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. Finally, UBS Group raised their price target on AECOM from $126.00 to $139.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday. Ten research 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 $127.33.

Institutional Trading of AECOM

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of ACM. Boston Partners raised its holdings in shares of AECOM by 7.6% in the 2nd quarter. Boston Partners now owns 115,593 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $13,047,000 after purchasing an additional 8,161 shares in the last quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. acquired a new stake in AECOM in the second quarter worth about $355,000. Allworth Financial LP grew its position in AECOM by 38.5% during the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 392 shares of the construction company's stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of AECOM by 3.8% during the second quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 5,865 shares of the construction company's stock worth $662,000 after purchasing an additional 212 shares during the period. Finally, Acadian Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AECOM in the 2nd quarter valued at $5,720,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.41% of the company's stock.

AECOM Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $15.74 billion, a PE ratio of 25.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 0.99. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $113.05 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $104.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 1.17.

AECOM Company Profile

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.