AKO Capital LLP Reduces Stake in Fair Isaac Co.

AKO Capital LLP has reduced its stake in Fair Isaac Co. (NYSE:FICO - Free Report) by 33.1% during the fourth quarter, as reported in its latest Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. After selling 73,574 shares, the fund now holds 148,602 shares of the technology firm, making up approximately 4.1% of AKO Capital LLP's investment portfolio. This positions Fair Isaac as the 13th largest investment for the firm, with the value of its holdings in the company listed at $295,856,000.

Additionally, other institutional investors have been adjusting their positions in Fair Isaac. Vanguard Group Inc. has increased its stake by 0.8% in the fourth quarter, now owning 2,903,694 shares valued at $5,781,051,000 after buying 22,178 shares. State Street Corp raised its position by 0.5% during the third quarter, bringing their holdings to 1,045,165 shares worth $2,031,299,000. Similarly, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their stake by 0.8% in the fourth quarter, acquiring an additional 5,371 shares for a total of 678,613 shares valued at $1,351,073,000. Geode Capital Management LLC and Principal Financial Group Inc. also increased their stakes, demonstrating a trend of institutional investment in Fair Isaac.

Stock Performance and Market Analysis

As of Thursday, Fair Isaac Co. shares were trading at $1,883.85. The stock has experienced fluctuations over the past year, with a 12-month low of $1,105.65 and a high of $2,402.52. Its moving averages show a 50-day average of $1,831.78 and a 200-day average of $1,989.83. Fair Isaac currently holds a market capitalization of $46.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 86.45, and a beta of 1.41, indicating its volatility in the market.

In its last earnings announcement on February 4th, Fair Isaac reported an earnings per share (EPS) of $4.15, falling short of analysts' expectations of $6.21. The company's net margin stood at 30.66%, although it reported a negative return on equity of 53.40%. Analysts anticipate that Fair Isaac will achieve an EPS of 24.15 for the current fiscal year, reflecting expectations for growth despite recent disappointments.

Analyst Ratings and Price Targets

Recent commentary from analysts has varied. Needham & Company LLC maintained a "buy" rating with a price target of $2,500.00 in a note issued on February 5th. On December 20th, JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on Fair Isaac, providing a "neutral" rating with a price target of $2,150.00. Royal Bank of Canada elevated its rating from "sector perform" to "outperform" and increased its target from $2,040.00 to $2,170.00 shortly after. In contrast, UBS Group set a lower target of $2,100.00 while maintaining a "neutral" rating. The average price target among analysts now stands at $2,088.15, with four analysts rating the stock as a hold and nine favoring a buy recommendation.

Insider Transactions

In insider trading news, CFO Steven P. Weber sold 139 shares at an average price of $1,964.42 recently, totaling $273,054.38. After this transaction, he now holds 2,478 shares valued at approximately $4,867,832.76. CEO William J. Lansing also sold 4,092 shares at an average of $1,727.69 for a total of $7,069,707.48. His remaining shares amount to 42,138, valued around $72,801,401.22. Throughout the last 90 days, insiders have offloaded a total of 10,241 shares worth $18,186,184, with insiders owning 3.46% of the company's stock.

Company Overview

Fair Isaac Corporation specializes in developing analytic, software, and digital decision-making technologies aimed at improving business processes. It operates through two segments: Scores and Software. The Software segment provides tailored analytic and decision management solutions for various business requirements, including customer management and fraud detection.

FICO, Investment, Stock