Expect Equity LLC Trims Holdings in WNS (Holdings) Limited $WNS

Key Points

• Expect Equity LLC reduced its holdings in WNS (Holdings) Limited by 17.5%, selling 9,100 shares in the first quarter and holding a total of 42,780 shares valued at approximately $2.63 million.
• A number of large investors, including the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, have increased their holdings in WNS, highlighting strong institutional interest, with institutional investors owning 97.36% of the company's stock.
• Analysts have a consensus rating of "Hold" for WNS, and recent price targets have been adjusted to an average of $68.13, reflecting cautious sentiment in the stock's near-term prospects.

Expect Equity LLC lessened its stake in shares of WNS (Holdings) Limited (NYSE:WNS - Free Report) by 17.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 42,780 shares of the business services provider's stock after selling 9,100 shares during the quarter. WNS comprises about 3.0% of Expect Equity LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 7th biggest holding. Expect Equity LLC owned 0.09% of WNS worth $2,631,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of WNS by 2.6% during the 1st quarter. Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,408,501 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $86,609,000 after acquiring an additional 35,074 shares during the last quarter. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP purchased a new stake in shares of WNS during the 1st quarter valued at about $51,712,000. Nuveen LLC purchased a new position in shares of WNS in the first quarter worth approximately $37,321,000. Nuveen Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of WNS by 9.9% in the fourth quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 605,951 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $28,716,000 after buying an additional 54,781 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Neumeier Poma Investment Counsel LLC boosted its holdings in shares of WNS by 35.3% in the first quarter. Neumeier Poma Investment Counsel LLC now owns 488,103 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $30,013,000 after buying an additional 127,445 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.36% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "hold" rating and issued a $76.50 price objective (down previously from $80.00) on shares of WNS in a report on Tuesday, July 8th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of WNS from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, July 12th. Baird R W downgraded shares of WNS from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 8th. Needham & Company LLC downgraded shares of WNS from a "moderate buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, July 7th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft assumed coverage on shares of WNS in a report on Thursday, July 17th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $76.50 price objective on the stock. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $68.13.

WNS Stock Performance

NYSE WNS traded down $0.01 on Friday, reaching $75.49. 540,408 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 614,068. WNS has a one year low of $42.62 and a one year high of $75.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.24 billion, a PE ratio of 21.03, a PEG ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 0.91. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $72.33 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $64.32. The company has a current ratio of 1.47, a quick ratio of 1.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18.

WNS (NYSE:WNS - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The business services provider reported $1.02 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.97 by $0.05. WNS had a net margin of 12.11% and a return on equity of 22.90%. The company had revenue of $339.90 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $323.13 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.93 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 9.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that WNS will post 3.8 EPS for the current fiscal year.

WNS Company 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.