Clayton Partners LLC Grows Stake in Jacobs Solutions Inc. (NYSE:J)

Clayton Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Jacobs Solutions Inc. (NYSE:J) by 13.6% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 30,167 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,622 shares during the period. Jacobs Solutions comprises approximately 2.8% of Clayton Partners LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 13th biggest position. Clayton Partners LLC’s holdings in Jacobs Solutions were worth $4,031,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in J. First Horizon Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Jacobs Solutions by 44.3% during the 3rd quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 241 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. Avalon Trust Co bought a new stake in shares of Jacobs Solutions during the 4th quarter worth $33,000. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Jacobs Solutions by 71.9% during the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 275 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 115 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP lifted its holdings in shares of Jacobs Solutions by 394.9% during the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 292 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 233 shares during the last quarter. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC bought a new stake in shares of Jacobs Solutions during the 3rd quarter worth $44,000. 85.65% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Jacobs Solutions Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:J opened at $122.50 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $15.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 0.77. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $131.75 and a 200-day moving average price of $137.67. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. Jacobs Solutions Inc. has a 12 month low of $110.95 and a 12 month high of $150.54.

Jacobs Solutions (NYSE:J) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The company reported $1.33 earnings per share (EPS) 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 company had revenue of $2.93 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.92 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.45 earnings per share. Jacobs Solutions’s quarterly revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Jacobs Solutions Inc. will post 6.05 EPS for the current year.

Jacobs Solutions declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, February 4th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.50 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to reacquire up to 9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are typically a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Jacobs Solutions Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 21st. Investors of record on Friday, February 21st will be given a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 21st. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.04%. This is a boost from Jacobs Solutions’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. Jacobs Solutions’s payout ratio is currently 26.39%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

J has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Jacobs Solutions in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. They set a “hold” rating for the company. Robert W. Baird lowered 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. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $152.00 price target on shares of Jacobs Solutions in a research note on Tuesday, December 3rd. Benchmark downgraded shares of Jacobs Solutions from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Truist Financial boosted their price target on shares of Jacobs Solutions from $137.00 to $142.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Jacobs Solutions has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $153.63.

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.