Blue Trust Inc. Sells 78 Shares of Jacobs Solutions Inc. (NYSE:J)

Blue Trust Inc. reduced its stake in Jacobs Solutions Inc. (NYSE:J) by 12.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 534 shares of the company’s stock after selling 78 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc.’s holdings in Jacobs Solutions were worth $71,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. First Horizon Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in Jacobs Solutions by 44.3% in the third quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 241 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP grew its stake in shares of Jacobs Solutions by 394.9% during the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 292 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 233 shares during the last quarter. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Jacobs Solutions in the third quarter worth approximately $42,000. True Wealth Design LLC bought a new stake in shares of Jacobs Solutions during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $44,000. Finally, Wingate Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Jacobs Solutions during the 4th quarter valued at $65,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.65% of the company’s stock.

Jacobs Solutions Price Performance

J stock opened at $129.12 on Monday. Jacobs Solutions Inc. has a 52-week low of $110.95 and a 52-week high of $150.54. The company has a quick ratio of 1.25, a current ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The stock has a market cap of $15.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 0.72. The business has a fifty day moving average of $134.83 and a two-hundred day moving average of $139.95.

Jacobs Solutions (NYSE:J) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The company reported $1.33 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.29 by $0.04. Jacobs Solutions had a net margin of 4.28% and a return on equity of 14.87%. The firm had revenue of $2.93 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.92 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.45 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Jacobs Solutions Inc. will post 6.05 earnings per share for the current year.

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

Jacobs Solutions Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 21st. Investors of record on Friday, February 21st will be paid a dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.99%. This is a boost from Jacobs Solutions’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 21st. Jacobs Solutions’s payout ratio is presently 23.92%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently issued reports on J. Truist Financial increased their price objective on Jacobs Solutions from $137.00 to $142.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $152.00 target price on shares of Jacobs Solutions in a report on Tuesday, December 3rd. StockNews.com began coverage on Jacobs Solutions in a research note on Wednesday, December 4th. They set a “hold” rating on the stock. Robert W. Baird lowered their price objective 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. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $150.00 target price on shares of Jacobs Solutions in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $155.89.

Jacobs Solutions Profile

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.