Analysts Set Jacobs Solutions Inc. (NYSE:J) Price Target at $155.89

Shares of Jacobs Solutions Inc. (NYSE:J) have been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the eleven ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $155.89.

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on J shares. Benchmark cut Jacobs Solutions from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $152.00 price objective on shares of Jacobs Solutions in a research report on Tuesday, December 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $150.00 price objective on shares of Jacobs Solutions in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Jacobs Solutions in a research note on Wednesday, December 4th. They issued a “hold” rating on the stock. Finally, Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on shares of Jacobs Solutions from $154.00 to $148.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th.

Jacobs Solutions Stock Down 2.3 %

NYSE J opened at $130.19 on Monday. Jacobs Solutions has a 1-year low of $110.95 and a 1-year high of $150.54. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $135.96 and its two-hundred day moving average is $140.71. The company has a market capitalization of $15.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.84, a PEG ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 0.72.

Jacobs Solutions (NYSE:J) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The company reported $1.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.29 by $0.04. Jacobs Solutions had a net margin of 4.28% and a return on equity of 14.87%. The company had revenue of $2.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.92 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.45 earnings per share. Jacobs Solutions’s quarterly revenue was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that Jacobs Solutions will post 6.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Jacobs Solutions Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 21st. Investors of record on Friday, February 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 21st. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.98%. This is a boost from Jacobs Solutions’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. Jacobs Solutions’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 23.92%.

Jacobs Solutions announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, February 4th that allows the company to buyback $1.50 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to buy up to 9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are generally a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Jacobs Solutions

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. ExodusPoint Capital Management LP grew its stake in shares of Jacobs Solutions by 597.2% in the fourth quarter. ExodusPoint Capital Management LP now owns 91,240 shares of the company’s stock valued at $12,191,000 after acquiring an additional 78,154 shares in the last quarter. World Investment Advisors boosted its holdings in Jacobs Solutions by 19.4% in the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 2,101 shares of the company’s stock valued at $281,000 after purchasing an additional 342 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its position in shares of Jacobs Solutions by 9.5% during the 4th quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 1,809,207 shares of the company’s stock worth $241,746,000 after purchasing an additional 157,086 shares in the last quarter. Trexquant Investment LP bought a new position in shares of Jacobs Solutions during the fourth quarter worth approximately $23,916,000. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Jacobs Solutions by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,155,839 shares of the company’s stock valued at $420,626,000 after buying an additional 10,174 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 85.65% of the company’s stock.

About Jacobs Solutions

Jacobs Solutions Inc provides consulting, technical, engineering, scientific, and project delivery services for the government and private sectors in the United States, Europe, Canada, India, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, and Africa. It operates through Critical Mission Solutions, People & Places Solutions, Divergent Solutions, and PA Consulting segments.