Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC Has $6.13 Million Stake in FactSet Research Systems Inc. $FDS

Key Points

• Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in FactSet by 243.6%, adding 14,819 shares to hold 20,903 shares worth $6.13 million (about 0.06% of the company).
• FactSet's board approved a $600 million repurchase program (up to 5.4% of shares) and the company pays a quarterly dividend of $1.10 per share (annualized $4.40, ~2.2% yield).
• Institutional investors own roughly 91.24% of the stock, while corporate insiders hold 1.20% and two directors recently sold large blocks, significantly reducing their stakes.

Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its position in shares of FactSet Research Systems Inc. (NYSE:FDS - Free Report) by 243.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 20,903 shares of the business services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 14,819 shares during the quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC owned about 0.06% of FactSet Research Systems worth $6,132,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of FactSet Research Systems by 0.4% in the 2nd quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 6,866 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $3,071,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the period. Claret Asset Management Corp grew its stake in FactSet Research Systems by 7.0% during the second quarter. Claret Asset Management Corp now owns 532 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $238,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the period. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC grew its stake in FactSet Research Systems by 3.3% during the third quarter. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC now owns 1,145 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $328,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd lifted its stake in FactSet Research Systems by 53.4% in the third quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 112 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the period. Finally, Promus Capital LLC boosted its holdings in shares of FactSet Research Systems by 2.4% during the 3rd quarter. Promus Capital LLC now owns 1,947 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $558,000 after buying an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. 91.24% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

FactSet Research Systems Stock Performance

FDS opened at $198.64 on Friday. FactSet Research Systems Inc. has a 1-year low of $185.00 and a 1-year high of $474.79. The company has a market cap of $7.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.64, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.75. The company's fifty day moving average price is $222.01 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $264.77. The company has a current ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 1.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63.

FactSet Research Systems announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback plan on Thursday, December 18th that permits the company to repurchase $600.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the business services provider to buy up to 5.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are usually an indication that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

FactSet Research Systems Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 19th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 27th were issued a dividend of $1.10 per share. This represents a $4.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 27th. FactSet Research Systems's payout ratio is currently 27.99%.

Insider Activity at FactSet Research Systems

In related news, Director Laurie Siegel sold 2,572 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $296.25, for a total value of $761,955.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 1,037 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $307,211.25. This represents a 71.27% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Malcolm Frank sold 2,572 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, January 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $295.70, for a total value of $760,540.40. Following the transaction, the director owned 879 shares in the company, valued at approximately $259,920.30. This trade represents a 74.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 1.20% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently issued reports on FDS. UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating on shares of FactSet Research Systems in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Bank of America assumed coverage on FactSet Research Systems in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. They issued an "underperform" rating and a $195.00 target price for the company. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on FactSet Research Systems from $372.00 to $295.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price target on FactSet Research Systems from $282.00 to $253.00 and set a "sell" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Finally, Huber Research upgraded FactSet Research Systems from a "strong sell" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, December 19th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and six have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, FactSet Research Systems has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and a consensus price target of $285.69.

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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