Top Wall Street Forecasters Revamp FactSet Research Expectations Ahead Of Q1 Earnings

FactSet Research (NYSE: FDS) will report Q1 results before the open on Dec. 18 with consensus EPS of $4.37 (flat YoY) and revenue of $600.45m versus $568.67m a year ago; the print will be watched closely after FactSet issued FY2026 EPS guidance below estimates on Sept. 18. Shares closed at $293 (+0.3%), and recent analyst moves—multiple firms trimming price targets and maintaining cautious ratings (Wells Fargo Underweight PT $260; UBS upgraded to Buy but cut PT to $425; BMO Market Perform PT $324; Morgan Stanley Underweight PT $293; Stifel Hold PT $372)—reflect tempered expectations ahead of the report.

Analysis

FactSet Research (FDS) will report Q1 results before the open on Thursday, Dec. 18 with consensus EPS of $4.37, unchanged year‑over‑year, and consensus revenue of $600.45 million versus $568.67 million a year ago, implying roughly 5.6% top‑line growth. The market will focus on whether management’s commentary and forward guidance reconcile flat EPS with modest revenue growth and whether revenue quality (recurring vs. project) supports the topline beat narrative.

FactSet issued FY2026 EPS guidance below street estimates on Sept. 18, and recent analyst activity is mixed-to-cautious: Wells Fargo kept an Underweight and cut the price target to $260 (Dec. 5), Morgan Stanley kept Underweight and trimmed PT to $293 (Sept. 19), BMO and Stifel lowered PTs to $324 and $372 respectively (Sept. 19), while UBS upgraded to Buy but reduced its PT to $425 (Sept. 22). The stock traded at $293 (+0.3%) into the print and the aggregated sentiment signal is moderately negative with a modest market‑impact score (0.35), indicating limited pre‑announcement optimism.

Because FactSet’s prior guidance miss is the dominant risk, the upcoming release is a directional catalyst: a clean beat plus constructive FY2026 commentary could reset analyst skepticism and drive upside, while a weak print or reaffirmation of conservative guidance would likely reinforce recent downgrades and pressure the shares.

Key Decisions for Investors

• Maintain a cautious stance into the print and avoid adding size ahead of the release given FY2026 guidance was previously below estimates,
• If you hold material exposure, consider hedging near‑term downside with options or reducing position size until management commentary on FY2026 clarity is received,
• Be prepared to add selectively on a clear beat with raised guidance or on a meaningful post‑print pullback driven by continued analyst downgrades; monitor revenue composition and any changes to recurring revenue assumptions closely