Acadian Asset Management Inc. $AAMI Shares Sold by Vanguard Group Inc.

Key Points

• Vanguard trimmed its stake: Vanguard Group sold 32,520 shares in Q3, reducing its holding to 2,348,586 shares (6.56% of the company), valued at about $113.1 million at quarter-end.
• Dividend sharply increased: Acadian raised its quarterly dividend from $0.01 to $0.10 (ex-dividend March 13, payable March 27), implying a $0.40 annualized dividend and a ~0.7% yield.
• Insider selling and mixed results: Two directors sold sizable stakes (Barbara Trebbi 9,691 shares; Robert J. Chersi 28,753 shares), insiders still own ~26%, and the company recently missed EPS estimates ($1.32 vs. $1.38) amid a consensus "Hold" rating and $52 average price target.

Vanguard Group Inc. trimmed its stake in shares of Acadian Asset Management Inc. (NYSE:AAMI - Free Report) by 1.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,348,586 shares of the company's stock after selling 32,520 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 6.56% of Acadian Asset Management worth $113,108,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund boosted its holdings in Acadian Asset Management by 5.4% in the 3rd quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 15,435 shares of the company's stock worth $743,000 after buying an additional 794 shares during the last quarter. LSV Asset Management increased its position in shares of Acadian Asset Management by 8.5% during the third quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 84,400 shares of the company's stock worth $4,065,000 after purchasing an additional 6,600 shares in the last quarter. Navellier & Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in Acadian Asset Management during the 3rd quarter worth $310,000. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in shares of Acadian Asset Management by 4.4% during the third quarter. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC now owns 29,066 shares of the company's stock worth $1,400,000 after buying an additional 1,222 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Acadian Asset Management during the third quarter worth $2,032,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.69% of the company's stock.

Acadian Asset Management Stock Performance

Shares of AAMI opened at $54.51 on Thursday. Acadian Asset Management Inc. has a 1 year low of $22.60 and a 1 year high of $57.03. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.95 billion, a PE ratio of 24.67 and a beta of 1.32. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $52.38 and a 200-day simple moving average of $48.76.

Acadian Asset Management (NYSE:AAMI - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.38 by ($0.06). 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. Analysts predict that Acadian Asset Management Inc. will post 2.78 EPS for the current year.

Acadian Asset Management Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.10 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. This is a positive change from Acadian Asset Management's previous quarterly dividend of $0.01. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. Acadian Asset Management's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 1.81%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Barbara Trebbi sold 9,691 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.22, for a total transaction of $496,373.02. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 35,771 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,832,190.62. The trade was a 21.32% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Robert J. Chersi sold 28,753 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.30, for a total transaction of $1,475,028.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 37,384 shares in the company, valued at $1,917,799.20. This trade represents a 43.47% 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.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective 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. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Acadian Asset Management from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Acadian Asset Management from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 7th. Evercore set a $52.00 price objective on Acadian Asset Management in a report on Thursday, November 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Acadian Asset Management in a research report on Monday, December 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Acadian Asset Management has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $52.00.

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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