Franklin Resources Inc. Raises Stake in ACI Worldwide, Inc. $ACIW

Franklin Resources Inc. increased its holdings in shares of ACI Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ:ACIW) by 79.6% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 9,659,385 shares of the technology company’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,280,684 shares during the quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. owned 9.37% of ACI Worldwide worth $509,726,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

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

ACI Worldwide Stock Down 1.5%

NASDAQ ACIW opened at $41.44 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.54, a current ratio of 1.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. ACI Worldwide, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $38.05 and a fifty-two week high of $57.49. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $42.63 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $46.84. The stock has a market cap of $4.22 billion, a PE ratio of 19.10 and a beta of 1.07.

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Juan Benitez II purchased 2,400 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $41.90 per share, with a total value of $100,560.00. Following the acquisition, the director 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. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Adalio T. Sanchez purchased 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $40.98 per share, for a total transaction of $122,940.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 64,378 shares in the company, valued at $2,638,210.44. This trade represents a 4.89% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently weighed in on ACIW shares. Zacks Research cut shares of ACI Worldwide from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings lowered ACI Worldwide from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $60.00.

ACI Worldwide Company Profile

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.