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AECOM (ACM) Offloads Civil Construction Business to Oroco Unit
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AECOM (ACM - Free Report) has wrapped up the divestiture of its civil construction business to affiliates of Oroco Capital. The company is winding up its at-risk construction businesses and is concentrating fully on consulting services. The company is continuously striving to execute its Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) thoroughly across its business section.
Separately, the company also announced that it has completed nearly $150 million of share repurchases since its fourth quarter fiscal 2020 earnings announcement on Nov 16, 2020. Since September 2020, the company has executed more than $600 million of share repurchases. As a result, diluted outstanding shares have been reduced by approximately 8%. AECOM now has approximately $850 million of repurchase capacity remaining under its existing $1-billion board authorization.
Restructuring Plan Bodes Well
To improve profitability and de-risk the business profile, AECOM has been executing a plan that would transform the company into a pure-play professional services firm. To that end, it is in the process of exiting more than 30 countries in order to prioritize investments in markets with higher prospects and competitive advantages. In January 2020, AECOM completed the sale of the management services business. In October 2020, it wrapped up the Power construction business divestiture. The company also intends to exit non-core oil and gas markets.
The company is focused on its Think and Act Globally strategy, which works on extending AECOM’s industry-leading, global expertise to each of its projects around the world, transforming the way it delivers work through technology and digital platforms, and enhancing its position as a leading ESG company.
Price Performance
Owing to contribution from AECOM’s businesses, shares of the company have surged 14.5% in the past year, outperforming the industry’s 5.3% rally. The company’s performance is backed by solid backlog levels, having a record level backlog of nearly of $41.2 billion, as of fiscal 2020.
A few better-ranked stocks in the Zacks Engineering - R and D Services industry include Zacks Rank #1 Gates Industrial Corporation plc (GTES - Free Report) and Willdan Group, Inc. (WLDN - Free Report) with a Zacks Rank #1, and Mayville Engineering Company, Inc. (MEC - Free Report) with a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Gates Industrial surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the last four quarters, the average being 61%.
Willdan Group surpassed the consensus mark in three of the trailing four quarters, with an average of 81.4%.
2021 earnings estimate for Mayville Engineering has moved up from 46 cents to 51 cents over the past 30 days.
5 Stocks Set to Double
Each was hand-picked by a Zacks expert as the #1 favorite stock to gain +100% or more in 2020. Each comes from a different sector and has unique qualities and catalysts that could fuel exceptional growth. Most of the stocks in this report are flying under Wall Street radar, which provides a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor.
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AECOM (ACM) Offloads Civil Construction Business to Oroco Unit
AECOM (ACM - Free Report) has wrapped up the divestiture of its civil construction business to affiliates of Oroco Capital. The company is winding up its at-risk construction businesses and is concentrating fully on consulting services. The company is continuously striving to execute its Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) thoroughly across its business section.
Separately, the company also announced that it has completed nearly $150 million of share repurchases since its fourth quarter fiscal 2020 earnings announcement on Nov 16, 2020. Since September 2020, the company has executed more than $600 million of share repurchases. As a result, diluted outstanding shares have been reduced by approximately 8%. AECOM now has approximately $850 million of repurchase capacity remaining under its existing $1-billion board authorization.
Restructuring Plan Bodes Well
To improve profitability and de-risk the business profile, AECOM has been executing a plan that would transform the company into a pure-play professional services firm. To that end, it is in the process of exiting more than 30 countries in order to prioritize investments in markets with higher prospects and competitive advantages. In January 2020, AECOM completed the sale of the management services business. In October 2020, it wrapped up the Power construction business divestiture. The company also intends to exit non-core oil and gas markets.
The company is focused on its Think and Act Globally strategy, which works on extending AECOM’s industry-leading, global expertise to each of its projects around the world, transforming the way it delivers work through technology and digital platforms, and enhancing its position as a leading ESG company.
Price Performance
Owing to contribution from AECOM’s businesses, shares of the company have surged 14.5% in the past year, outperforming the industry’s 5.3% rally. The company’s performance is backed by solid backlog levels, having a record level backlog of nearly of $41.2 billion, as of fiscal 2020.
Zacks Rank & Key Picks
Currently, AECOM carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
A few better-ranked stocks in the Zacks Engineering - R and D Services industry include Zacks Rank #1 Gates Industrial Corporation plc (GTES - Free Report) and Willdan Group, Inc. (WLDN - Free Report) with a Zacks Rank #1, and Mayville Engineering Company, Inc. (MEC - Free Report) with a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Gates Industrial surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the last four quarters, the average being 61%.
Willdan Group surpassed the consensus mark in three of the trailing four quarters, with an average of 81.4%.
2021 earnings estimate for Mayville Engineering has moved up from 46 cents to 51 cents over the past 30 days.
5 Stocks Set to Double
Each was hand-picked by a Zacks expert as the #1 favorite stock to gain +100% or more in 2020. Each comes from a different sector and has unique qualities and catalysts that could fuel exceptional growth. Most of the stocks in this report are flying under Wall Street radar, which provides a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor.
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