FactSet Research Systems Inc. (FDS) Stock Price & How to Invest
Last updated July 2026
Short answer
FactSet (FDS) is a way to own a subscription financial-data and analytics platform used by investment professionals, a recurring-revenue business whose stock has derated sharply as growth slowed to the mid-single digits and margins came under pressure from heavy AI and technology spending.
FDS stock price
As of 2026-07-14, FactSet Research Systems Inc. (FDS) last closed at $251.27, down 42.9% over the past year. Over the past 52 weeks it has traded between $190.06 and $440.01.
Prices are daily closing prices from Yahoo Finance and may be delayed. For the live quote, check your broker or FactSet Research Systems Inc.'s investor relations page. Walnut is informational, not investment advice.
What does FactSet Research Systems Inc. (FDS) do?
FactSet Research Systems sells a subscription-based platform of financial data, analytics, and workflow tools to investment banks, asset managers, wealth managers, hedge funds, and corporate clients. Its core metric is Annual Subscription Value (ASV), the annualized value of client subscriptions, which makes revenue highly recurring and predictable. The product spans data feeds, portfolio analytics, research management, and increasingly AI-assisted tools that sit inside the daily workflow of analysts and portfolio managers. High retention and multi-year client relationships give the business a wide, sticky moat, though it competes against much larger data vendors.
The investment picture is a story of a quality compounder that has slowed and derated. Organic ASV growth cooled from double digits after the 2021-2022 boom into the mid-single digits, and the stock fell well off its 2024 highs into 2026 even as ASV growth re-accelerated back toward 7%. Adjusted operating margin has compressed as management invests heavily in AI, cloud infrastructure, and product, and the shares now trade at a much lower earnings multiple than their historical premium. For investors, FDS offers a resilient, cash-generative subscription model with steady buybacks and a growing dividend, set against slower growth and questions about how AI reshapes demand for financial data.
What's driving FactSet Research Systems Inc. (FDS)?
1. Recurring ASV re-acceleration
FactSet's organic ASV reached about $2.49 billion in fiscal Q3 2026, up roughly 7.1% year over year, an acceleration from around 6.7% the prior quarter. Because nearly all revenue is subscription based, ASV growth translates fairly directly into future revenue. Continued re-acceleration is the central bull argument after several years of slowing growth.
2. AI-integrated workflow products
Management is embedding generative AI across the platform, including conversational research tools and AI-assisted analytics, aiming to deepen usage and justify pricing. The pitch is that AI makes FactSet's proprietary and licensed data more valuable inside client workflows rather than commoditizing it. Execution here is a key driver of both growth and the competitive response to larger rivals.
3. High retention and pricing power
FactSet reports strong client and ASV retention, reflecting how embedded its tools are in daily investment workflows. Sticky, multi-year relationships support steady price increases and expansion within existing accounts. This durability is what has historically earned the stock a premium multiple.
4. Cash generation and capital returns
The business converts a high share of earnings into free cash flow, about $254 million in fiscal Q3 2026, up roughly 11% year over year. Management returns capital through a consistently growing dividend and share repurchases. Strong cash flow funds both AI investment and shareholder returns while keeping leverage manageable.
What are the risks to FactSet Research Systems Inc. (FDS)?
The biggest concern is margin pressure: adjusted operating margin fell roughly 300 basis points year over year to around 34% as FactSet spends heavily on AI, cloud, and product, and GAAP profitability has narrowed. Growth is only mid-single digits, far below the double-digit pace of a few years ago, and the stock derated sharply from its 2024 highs as a result. Competition is intense and comes from much larger players, including Bloomberg, LSEG (Refinitiv), S&P Global, and Moody's, some with deeper resources for AI and data. There is also a longer-term question of whether generative AI compresses demand for traditional financial-data terminals. A slowdown in financial-industry hiring or budgets would directly pressure ASV growth.
How is FactSet Research Systems Inc. (FDS) valued? (approximate, JULY 2026)
A simple financial snapshot. These are approximations and refresh quarterly; for current figures see FactSet Research Systems Inc.'s investor relations page or your broker.
- Revenue (TTM): ~$2.44B
- Q3 FY2026 revenue: ~$622.9M (+6.4% YoY, organic +7.0%)
- Organic ASV: ~$2.49B (+7.1% YoY)
- Adjusted diluted EPS (Q3 FY2026): ~$4.53 (+6.1% YoY)
- FY2026 adjusted EPS guidance: ~$17.25 to $17.75
- Market cap: ~$8.8B
FactSet reaffirmed fiscal 2026 guidance of roughly $2.45 to $2.47 billion in revenue, adjusted operating margin of 34.0% to 35.5%, and adjusted diluted EPS of about $17.25 to $17.75. The stock traded near $247 in mid-July 2026, well below its 2024 highs above $450, putting the trailing earnings multiple in the mid-teens, near multi-year lows for the name and a sharp compression from its historical premium. Investors are effectively paying much less for FactSet's steady subscription growth than they did a couple of years ago.
Who competes with FactSet Research Systems Inc. (FDS)?
Large financial-data and terminal providers
Bloomberg, LSEG (which owns Refinitiv), and S&P Global (Capital IQ) are FactSet's closest and much larger rivals, competing on data breadth, terminals, and analytics. Bloomberg in particular has deep market penetration and strong network effects through its messaging, and FactSet generally ranks below these players by revenue and market share.
Ratings, risk, and analytics specialists
Moody's Analytics, MSCI, and Morningstar compete in adjacent niches such as credit and risk data, indexes and portfolio analytics, and fund research. They overlap with parts of FactSet's offering and pressure pricing in specialized data segments, while also setting the pace on some benchmark and risk products.
Emerging AI and low-cost data tools
A wave of AI-driven research tools and lower-cost data providers is pushing into financial analysis, targeting workflows that terminals have long owned. These entrants raise the long-term question of whether AI narrows demand for premium data platforms, which is why FactSet's own AI roadmap is closely watched.
How to invest in FactSet Research Systems Inc. (FDS)
There are three common ways to get FDS exposure. Buy shares (or fractional shares) directly at any major broker. Hold an ETF that includes it, which spreads the position across many companies. Or build it into a focused thematic basket, so FDS sits alongside other stocks that express the same thesis.
Walnut takes the basket route. Describe a thesis where FDS fits (for example “AI infrastructure” or “dividend-growth large-caps”) and the AI proposes 5 to 6 constituents with target weights. You review the plan and fund it through your own broker when you're ready.
The bottom line on FactSet Research Systems Inc. (FDS)
FDS is a durable, high-recurring-revenue data franchise re-accelerating its subscription base toward 7% growth, but one whose premium valuation has compressed as investors weigh slower growth, margin pressure, and the competitive shadow of Bloomberg and larger data rivals.
More on FactSet Research Systems Inc. (FDS)
Whether FDS is worth buying today depends more on your time horizon and what you already hold than on any single call. We walk through valuation, what would have to go right, and the risks in is FDS a buy?, and where the stock could go from here in the FDS stock forecast.
For income investors, whether FDS pays a dividend and how the payout looks is covered in does FDS pay a dividend?
Build a basket around FDS with Walnut
Use FactSet Research Systems Inc. as one constituent in a thematic basket Walnut's AI helps you assemble. Describe a thesis you believe in, the AI proposes the holdings and weights, and you approve before any broker order.
FAQ
What does FactSet do?
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FactSet Research Systems sells a subscription platform of financial data, analytics, and workflow tools to investment banks, asset and wealth managers, hedge funds, and corporations. Its products help analysts and portfolio managers research securities, build portfolios, and manage data inside their daily workflows.
Is FDS profitable?
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Yes. FactSet is consistently profitable and highly cash generative, reporting adjusted diluted EPS of about $4.53 in fiscal Q3 2026 and roughly $254 million of free cash flow that quarter. Its adjusted operating margin runs around 34%, though margins have compressed as it invests in AI and technology.
What is ASV and why does it matter for FactSet?
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ASV, or Annual Subscription Value, is the annualized value of FactSet's client subscriptions and its most-watched growth metric. Because nearly all revenue is recurring, ASV growth signals future revenue. Organic ASV reached about $2.49 billion in fiscal Q3 2026, up roughly 7.1% year over year.
Why has FDS stock fallen so much?
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FactSet's shares dropped from above $450 in 2024 to around $247 by mid-July 2026 as growth slowed to the mid-single digits and margins compressed under heavy AI and technology spending. The premium valuation the market once assigned the name contracted toward multi-year lows during the decline.
Who are FactSet's main competitors?
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Its closest and larger rivals are Bloomberg, LSEG (Refinitiv), and S&P Global's Capital IQ, plus specialists like Moody's Analytics, MSCI, and Morningstar. FactSet generally ranks behind the largest data providers by revenue while competing on data breadth, analytics, and workflow integration.
Does FactSet pay a dividend?
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Yes. FactSet pays a quarterly dividend and has a long record of annual dividend increases, with an annualized payout around $4.64 per share and a yield near 1.8% in mid-2026. It also returns cash through share repurchases. Investors should confirm the current rate in company filings.
How is AI affecting FactSet?
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AI is both an opportunity and a risk. FactSet is embedding generative AI across its platform to deepen usage and pricing, but that spending has pressured margins. Longer term, AI-driven research tools could compress demand for traditional data terminals, making FactSet's AI execution important to watch.
What are the main risks of owning FDS?
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Key risks include margin compression from heavy AI and technology investment, mid-single-digit growth that is far below prior years, intense competition from much larger data providers, sensitivity to financial-industry budgets and hiring, and the long-term question of how AI reshapes demand for financial-data platforms.
Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Financial figures on this page are approximations; always verify current numbers with FactSet Research Systems Inc.'s investor relations page or your broker before making investment decisions.