ACI Worldwide (NASDAQ:ACIW) Downgraded by Zacks Research to “Strong Sell”

ACI Worldwide (NASDAQ:ACIW) was downgraded by stock analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

Separately, Weiss Ratings downgraded ACI Worldwide from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, ACI Worldwide currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $60.00.

ACI Worldwide Stock Performance

ACIW stock opened at $41.44 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $42.63 and its 200 day simple moving average is $46.84. The company has a current ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 1.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. ACI Worldwide has a 12-month low of $38.05 and a 12-month high of $57.49. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.22 billion, a PE ratio of 19.10 and a beta of 1.07.

ACI Worldwide (NASDAQ:ACIW) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The technology company reported $0.90 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.05 by ($0.15). ACI Worldwide had a return on equity of 16.44% and a net margin of 12.88%.The business had revenue of $481.60 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $465.20 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.08 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that ACI Worldwide will post 2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Adalio T. Sanchez bought 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $40.98 per share, for a total transaction of $122,940.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 64,378 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,638,210.44. This represents a 4.89% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Juan Benitez II purchased 2,400 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $41.90 per share, for a total transaction of $100,560.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 16,881 shares in the company, valued at approximately $707,313.90. This trade represents a 16.57% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Millennium Management LLC grew its stake in shares of ACI Worldwide by 160.4% during the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 157,816 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $8,634,000 after purchasing an additional 97,206 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of ACI Worldwide by 93.4% during the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 1,472 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $81,000 after purchasing an additional 711 shares during the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP bought a new position in shares of ACI Worldwide in the 1st quarter worth approximately $259,000. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its stake in shares of ACI Worldwide by 64.2% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 16,362 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $895,000 after purchasing an additional 6,399 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its holdings in shares of ACI Worldwide by 13.7% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 407,332 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $22,285,000 after buying an additional 48,988 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.73% of the company’s stock.

About ACI Worldwide

ACI Worldwide (NASDAQ:ACIW) is a global software company that provides electronic payment and banking solutions to financial institutions, merchants and billers. The company’s platforms enable real-time processing of credit, debit, ACH, bill payments, faster payments and money transfers, as well as integrated fraud prevention services. Headquartered in Naples, Florida, ACI serves clients across banking, payments and commerce sectors worldwide.

ACI’s modular suite of applications can be deployed on-premise, in the cloud or in hybrid environments to meet diverse operational needs.