FactSet Research Systems Inc. (NYSE:FDS) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Reduce" from Brokerages

Key Points

• Consensus "Reduce": Seventeen analysts give FactSet an average rating of "Reduce" (six sell, nine hold, one buy, one strong buy) with a mean 12‑month price target of $279.85.
• Earnings beat but stock under pressure: Q1 EPS of $4.46 topped estimates ($4.37) and revenue rose 7.1% to $611.02M, yet the stock opened at $228.10 (down ~6%) and trades between its 50‑day ($214) and 200‑day ($254) moving averages, with a P/E of ~14.7 and market cap near $8.3B.

FactSet Research Systems Inc. (NYSE:FDS - Get Free Report) has earned an average rating of "Reduce" from the seventeen ratings firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $279.8462.

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on FDS. UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of FactSet Research Systems from $425.00 to $380.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price target on shares of FactSet Research Systems from $253.00 to $217.00 and set a "sell" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. Weiss Ratings reissued a "sell (d+)" rating on shares of FactSet Research Systems in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Bank of America started coverage on shares of FactSet Research Systems in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. They issued an "underperform" rating and a $195.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of FactSet Research Systems from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 1st.

FactSet Research Systems Stock Down 6.0%

FDS stock opened at $228.10 on Friday. FactSet Research Systems has a twelve month low of $185.00 and a twelve month high of $474.79. The company has a current ratio of 1.43, a quick ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. The company has a market capitalization of $8.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.67, a PEG ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.73. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $214.54 and a 200-day simple moving average of $254.03.

FactSet Research Systems (NYSE:FDS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 31st. The business services provider reported $4.46 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.37 by $0.09. FactSet Research Systems had a net margin of 24.48% and a return on equity of 30.25%. The business had revenue of $611.02 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $604.78 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $4.28 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 7.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that FactSet Research Systems will post 17.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

FactSet Research Systems Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 19th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 27th were issued a $1.10 dividend. This represents a $4.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 27th. FactSet Research Systems's payout ratio is currently 28.30%.

Trending Headlines about FactSet Research Systems

Here are the key news stories impacting FactSet Research Systems this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised medium‑ and longer‑term outlooks — FY2027 was lifted to $19.19 from $18.89 and FY2028 to $21.33 from $20.71, implying stronger expected earnings growth beyond the current year. These upward revisions signal analyst confidence in FactSet’s revenue and margin trajectory, which can support higher valuation over time. Zacks Research Report (Apr 21)
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks increased several quarterly estimates across 2026–2028 (examples: Q4 2026 to $4.27 from $4.14; Q1 2027 to $4.74; Q2 2027 to $4.61; Q3 2027 to $4.80; Q4 2027 to $5.03; Q1 2028 to $5.16; Q2 2028 to $5.26). These upgrades suggest analysts expect continued quarter‑over‑quarter earnings strength. Zacks Research Report (Apr 21)
• Neutral Sentiment: Consensus full‑year estimates remain near $17.64–$17.65, so near‑term market expectations for FY2026 are largely unchanged despite the mix of revisions. Investors should watch upcoming company guidance/quarterly results for confirmation. Zacks Research Report (Apr 21)
• Neutral Sentiment: Technical/fundamental context: FDS trades between its 50‑day ($214) and 200‑day ($254) moving averages, has a P/E ~14.7 and a market cap near $8.3B — useful context for investors weighing valuation versus growth expectations. FactSet Stock Profile
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks trimmed its Q3 2026 EPS estimate to $4.33 from $4.40 — a modest near‑term downgrade that could pressure sentiment if investors focus on quarterly timing rather than the stronger multi‑year revisions. Zacks Research Report (Apr 21)

Hedge Funds Weigh In On FactSet Research Systems

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. First Horizon Corp acquired a new position in FactSet Research Systems in the third quarter worth $25,000. Cromwell Holdings LLC acquired a new position in FactSet Research Systems in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. WPG Advisers LLC boosted its holdings in FactSet Research Systems by 76.9% in the fourth quarter. WPG Advisers LLC now owns 92 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the period. Winnow Wealth LLC acquired a new position in FactSet Research Systems in the third quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Field & Main Bank acquired a new position in FactSet Research Systems in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.24% of the company's stock.

About FactSet Research Systems

FactSet Research Systems Inc operates as a global provider of integrated financial data and analytics to the investment community. Founded in 1978 and headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut, the company offers a unified platform that aggregates content from thousands of sources, delivering real-time and historical market data, company fundamentals, estimates, fixed-income information and proprietary analytics to portfolio managers, research analysts, investment bankers and risk officers.

The company's core products include the FactSet Workstation, an application offering customizable screening, charting, portfolio analysis and news; APIs and data feeds for seamless integration into proprietary systems; and cloud-based solutions for thematic research and quantitative strategies.

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