FactSet Research Systems Inc. (NYSE:FDS) Receives Average Recommendation of “Reduce” from Brokerages

Shares of FactSet Research Systems Inc. (NYSE:FDS) have received an average recommendation of “Reduce” from the seventeen ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Six analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $314.75.

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Rothschild Redb upgraded FactSet Research Systems from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, September 12th. Zacks Research raised shares of FactSet Research Systems from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, December 5th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of FactSet Research Systems in a report on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of FactSet Research Systems from $296.00 to $260.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and set a $320.00 price objective on shares of FactSet Research Systems in a research report on Friday.

Key FactSet Research Systems News

Here are the key news stories impacting FactSet Research Systems this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations — FactSet reported $4.51 EPS vs. consensus ~$4.36 and revenue of $607.6M, driven by subscription/organic growth; this is the primary bullish catalyst. FactSet Reports Results for First Quarter Fiscal 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Board authorized a $600M share repurchase (up to ~5.4% of shares), signaling management believes shares are undervalued and supporting buyback-driven EPS accretion. RTT News
• Positive Sentiment: Some broker actions are constructive — Morgan Stanley upgraded FactSet (coverage note widely cited), and there was unusually high call‑option volume that suggests bullish speculative interest. Morgan Stanley upgrade (MSN) Options flow (AmericanBankingNews)
• Neutral Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating with a $320 target (implies upside vs. current price but no change in stance). Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: Company published earnings call transcript and slide deck for investors; useful detail but unlikely to move price by itself. Earnings call transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Goldman Sachs cut the price target to $253 and moved to a “sell” rating—this is a material bearish signal and likely a headwind for the stock. Benzinga
• Negative Sentiment: Stifel lowered its target from $372 to $295 and set a “hold” — another analyst downgrade that reduces upward momentum. Benzinga
• Negative Sentiment: FY2026 EPS guidance (16.90–17.60) was slightly below consensus (~17.33), which helps explain some selling pressure despite the beat — investors are focused on the full‑year outlook. Zacks

FactSet Research Systems Price Performance

FDS opened at $288.68 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63. FactSet Research Systems has a 12-month low of $250.50 and a 12-month high of $493.00. The firm has a market cap of $10.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.36, a PEG ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.75. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $279.07 and its 200 day moving average price is $347.82.

FactSet Research Systems (NYSE:FDS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 18th. The business services provider reported $4.51 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.36 by $0.15. FactSet Research Systems had a net margin of 25.40% and a return on equity of 30.49%. The company had revenue of $607.62 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $599.69 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $4.37 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. FactSet Research Systems has set its FY 2026 guidance at 16.900-17.600 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that FactSet Research Systems will post 17.21 earnings per share for the current year.

FactSet Research Systems Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 18th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 28th were issued a dividend of $1.10 per share. This represents a $4.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 28th. FactSet Research Systems’s dividend payout ratio is presently 28.30%.

FactSet Research Systems declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase program on Thursday, December 18th that permits the company to repurchase $600.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the business services provider to purchase up to 5.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are often a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity at FactSet Research Systems

In other news, EVP Helen L. Shan acquired 370 shares of FactSet Research Systems stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 6th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $275.48 per share, with a total value of $101,927.60. Following the purchase, the executive vice president directly owned 9,284 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,557,556.32. This trade represents a 4.15% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Goran Skoko bought 500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 6th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $252.93 per share, with a total value of $126,465.00. Following the acquisition, the executive vice president directly owned 9,192 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,324,932.56. This trade represents a 5.75% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders have bought 1,208 shares of company stock worth $328,505. 1.20% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On FactSet Research Systems

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. boosted its stake in shares of FactSet Research Systems by 4,300.0% in the second quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 88 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares during the period. First Horizon Corp bought a new stake in FactSet Research Systems during the third quarter valued at $25,000. WPG Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in FactSet Research Systems during the first quarter worth about $41,000. Generali Investments Management Co LLC acquired a new position in FactSet Research Systems in the second quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Finally, Winnow Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of FactSet Research Systems during the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.24% of the company’s stock.

FactSet Research Systems Company Profile

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.