Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc. Trims Stock Holdings in Gartner, Inc. $IT

Key Points

• Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc. cut its stake in Gartner (NYSE:IT) by 63.5% in Q4, selling 8,601 shares and leaving 4,947 shares valued at $1.248 million per its latest 13F filing.
• Several major analysts (Truist, Barclays, Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, Morgan Stanley) have lowered ratings/price targets recently, leaving a MarketBeat consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $180.40.
• Headline risk is rising from multiple securities‑fraud class action notices ahead of a May 18, 2026 deadline, even as Gartner research highlights potential long‑term AI upside for its advisory business alongside warnings about agentic AI project failures.

Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc. decreased its stake in Gartner, Inc. (NYSE:IT - Free Report) by 63.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,947 shares of the information technology services provider's stock after selling 8,601 shares during the quarter. Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc.'s holdings in Gartner were worth $1,248,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Gartner by 5.3% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 10,082,185 shares of the information technology services provider's stock worth $2,650,304,000 after acquiring an additional 509,902 shares during the period. Bamco Inc. NY boosted its stake in shares of Gartner by 18.3% in the third quarter. Bamco Inc. NY now owns 4,322,113 shares of the information technology services provider's stock worth $1,136,154,000 after acquiring an additional 669,352 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of Gartner by 2.8% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 3,510,206 shares of the information technology services provider's stock worth $922,728,000 after acquiring an additional 96,809 shares during the period. Independent Franchise Partners LLP bought a new position in shares of Gartner in the third quarter worth about $840,166,000. Finally, Capital International Investors bought a new position in shares of Gartner in the third quarter worth about $820,113,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.51% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Truist Financial dropped their price objective on Gartner from $300.00 to $170.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Barclays dropped their price objective on Gartner from $180.00 to $150.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered Gartner from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $220.00 to $171.00 in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Gartner from $150.00 to $140.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on Gartner from $275.00 to $200.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Gartner presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $180.40.

Key Headlines Impacting Gartner

Here are the key news stories impacting Gartner this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Gartner research highlights material upside from AI adoption — a Gartner report cited in the press cycle says AI could unlock ~10 margin points for CFOs by 2029, reinforcing demand for advisory, advisory subscriptions and market‑intelligence services that benefit Gartner over time. AI could unlock 10 margin points of growth for CFOs by 2029: Gartner
• Neutral Sentiment: Gartner commentary on agentic AI adoption: several articles summarize Gartner warnings that ~40% of agentic AI projects will fail by 2027 and that agentic AI is seeing rapid growth — useful for demand forecasting for Gartner’s research and advisory services but not an immediate revenue event. Gartner warns 40% of agentic AI projects will fail by 2027 Gartner sees untamed growth in agentic AI
• Neutral Sentiment: Gartner’s industry influence reflected in third‑party vendor coverage — e.g., Akamai being named a “Customers’ Choice” in a Gartner Peer Insights report shows Gartner’s continuing role in vendor evaluation (reputational/market influence more than direct financial impact to Gartner Inc.). Akamai Recognized as Customers' Choice in 2026 Gartner Peer Insights for API Protection
• Negative Sentiment: Flood of securities‑fraud class action notices and lead‑plaintiff solicitations tied to alleged misstatements/disclosures for purchases between Feb 4, 2025 and Feb 2, 2026 — multiple firms (Rosen, Glancy, Bronstein Gewirtz & Grossman, The Gross Law Firm, Pomerantz, Bragar Eagel & Squire, Schall, and others) are soliciting plaintiffs ahead of the May 18, 2026 deadline. The volume of notices increases headline risk, legal costs and short‑term selling pressure on IT. Rosen Law Firm class action notice Glancy Prongay Wolke & Rotter notice Bronstein Gewirtz & Grossman notice The Gross Law Firm notice

Gartner Price Performance

Shares of Gartner stock opened at $146.47 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $155.98 and a 200 day moving average of $201.80. Gartner, Inc. has a 12 month low of $139.18 and a 12 month high of $451.73. The firm has a market cap of $10.32 billion, a PE ratio of 15.18, a PEG ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 9.30.

Gartner (NYSE:IT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The information technology services provider reported $3.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.50 by $0.44. The business had revenue of $1.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.75 billion. Gartner had a return on equity of 102.20% and a net margin of 11.22%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $5.45 EPS. Gartner has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.300- EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Gartner, Inc. will post 13.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Gartner

Gartner, Inc is a global research and advisory firm that provides insights, advice and tools for leaders in IT, finance, HR, customer service and other business functions. Founded in 1979 and headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, Gartner specializes in helping organizations make informed decisions about technology, operations and strategy through a combination of published research, advisory services, consulting, executive programs and events.

The company's offerings include proprietary research reports, market forecasts, and analytical frameworks that are widely used by technology buyers and vendors.

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