Acadian Asset Management LLC Sells 433,160 Shares of WNS (Holdings) Limited $WNS

Key Points

• Acadian Asset Management LLC has reduced its stake in WNS (Holdings) Limited by 32.5%, owning approximately 898,346 shares worth $55.22 million after selling 433,160 shares in the first quarter.
• Several analysts have downgraded WNS's stock rating from "strong-buy" to "hold," with the current average rating being "Hold" and an average price target of $67.43.
• WNS reported a quarterly EPS of $1.02, exceeding consensus estimates, with revenue growth of 9.5% year-over-year, amounting to $339.90 million.

Acadian Asset Management LLC cut its stake in shares of WNS (Holdings) Limited (NYSE:WNS - Free Report) by 32.5% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 898,346 shares of the business services provider's stock after selling 433,160 shares during the period. Acadian Asset Management LLC owned about 1.94% of WNS worth $55,221,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of WNS by 3.5% in the 1st quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 157,659 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $9,694,000 after buying an additional 5,333 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV bought a new stake in shares of WNS in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $109,000. Teacher Retirement System of Texas bought a new stake in shares of WNS in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $357,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of WNS by 13.3% in the 1st quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 65,188 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $4,008,000 after buying an additional 7,671 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Millennium Management LLC grew its holdings in WNS by 54.6% during the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 9,070 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $430,000 after purchasing an additional 3,204 shares during the last quarter. 97.36% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

WNS Price Performance

Shares of NYSE WNS traded down $0.08 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $75.62. 206,491 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,057,477. The firm has a market cap of $3.24 billion, a PE ratio of 21.06, a PEG ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 0.91. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $75.09 and its 200-day simple moving average is $65.70. WNS has a 12 month low of $42.62 and a 12 month high of $75.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 1.47 and a current ratio of 1.47.

WNS (NYSE:WNS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 24th. The business services provider reported $1.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.97 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $339.90 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $323.13 million. WNS had a return on equity of 22.90% and a net margin of 12.11%.The business's revenue was up 9.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.93 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that WNS will post 3.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have commented on the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded WNS from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, July 12th. Barrington Research cut WNS from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 8th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "hold" rating and issued a $76.50 price objective (down from $80.00) on shares of WNS in a research report on Tuesday, July 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on WNS in a research report on Thursday, July 17th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $76.50 price objective for the company. Finally, Baird R W cut WNS from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, WNS presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $67.43.

WNS Profile

WNS (Holdings) Limited, a business process management (BPM) company, provides data, voice, analytical, and business transformation services worldwide. The company operates through TSLU, MRHP, HCLS, and BFSI segments. It engages in diversified business, including manufacturing, retail, consumer packaged goods, media and entertainment, and telecommunication; travel and leisure, utilities, shipping, and logistics; healthcare and life sciences; banking, financial services, and insurance; and Hi-tech and professional services, as well as procurement.