Should I Buy ICFI? ICFI 2026 Analysis

Should You Buy ICF International Inc (ICFI) Today? Analysis, Price Targets, and 2026 Outlook.

Conclusion

Hold

Latest Price

91.030

1 Day change

-1.49%

52 Week Range

120.020

Analysis Updated At

2026/01/29

Not a good buy right now for a beginner long-term investor who wants to act immediately. The stock is near support, but short-term momentum is still deteriorating (MACD worsening) and the latest quarter showed clear YoY declines in revenue and earnings. I would HOLD today rather than deploy a large new position at $92.41.

Technical Analysis

Price: $92.41 (down ~1.19%). Trend is mixed: longer-term structure looks constructive (SMA_5 > SMA_20 > SMA_200 suggests the broader uptrend hasn’t broken), but near-term momentum is weak. MACD histogram is -0.343 and negatively expanding, implying bearish momentum is increasing. RSI(6) at ~37.7 is approaching oversold, suggesting selling pressure may be getting stretched but not yet signaling a confirmed reversal. Key levels: support S1 ~91.09 (then S2 ~89.11); resistance pivot ~94.30 then R1 ~97.51. With price sitting close to support, the risk of a breakdown remains unless momentum improves.

Options Data

Bullish

Open Interest Put-Call Ratio

Bullish

Option Volume Put-Call Ratio

Options positioning is heavily call-skewed by open interest (OI put/call 0.11: far more calls than puts), which is generally bullish sentiment. However, today’s option volume is effectively zero, so that sentiment signal is not being actively expressed via fresh trading. Implied volatility is elevated (30D IV ~44% vs historical vol ~34%; IV percentile ~83), which often implies the market is pricing in uncertainty (e.g., around upcoming earnings) rather than expressing a clear directional conviction.

Technical Summary

Sell

Buy

Positive Catalysts

1) Analyst upgrade: Canaccord upgraded to Buy with a $115 target (from $90), arguing setbacks are cyclical rather than structural and citing resilient demand tied to policy/program lifecycle work. 2) Mean-reversion potential: RSI near oversold and price near support (~91) could allow a bounce if selling pressure fades. 3) Upcoming earnings (2026-02-26 after hours): potential catalyst if results/forward commentary show stabilization or re-acceleration.

Neutral/Negative Catalysts

1) Near-term momentum is still bearish (MACD negative and worsening), increasing the chance of a support break before any rebound. 2) Fundamental softness: latest quarter showed notable YoY declines in revenue, net income, and EPS. 3) Concentration risk: ~43% of sales tied to U.S. federal government (per analyst note), so budget/award timing can pressure results. 4) No supportive near-term news flow in the past week to change sentiment.

Financial Performance

Latest quarter: 2025/Q3. Revenue was $465.4M (-9.98% YoY). Net income was $23.8M (-27.27% YoY). EPS was $1.28 (-26.01% YoY). Gross margin was 34.53% (down ~0.17 YoY). Overall: growth trends weakened materially in Q3 with earnings deleveraging (profits fell faster than revenue), which reduces conviction for an immediate long-term buy until stabilization becomes visible.

Growth

Profitability

Efficiency

Analyst Ratings and Price Target Trends

Recent trend: a notable positive change—on 2025-12-02 Canaccord upgraded ICFI to Buy from Hold and raised the price target to $115 (from $90). Wall Street pro view: resilient franchise, diversified lifecycle policy/program work, and demand tailwinds as governments/businesses face evolving challenges. Wall Street con view: meaningful exposure to U.S. federal spending/award cycles and recent performance setbacks (visible in Q3 YoY declines). No notable hedge fund/insider trend changes reported recently; no recent congress trading data available.

4 Analyst Rating

Wall Street analysts forecast ICFI stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for ICFI is 99.67 USD with a low forecast of 82 USD and a high forecast of 115 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.

3 Buy

1 Hold

0 Sell

Strong Buy

Current: 92.410

Low

Averages

99.67

High

115

Current: 92.410

Low

Averages

99.67

High

115

Canaccord

Hold

Buy

upgrade

$90 -> $115

AI Analysis

2025-12-02

Reason

Canaccord

Price Target

$90 -> $115

AI Analysis

2025-12-02

upgrade

Hold

Buy

Reason

Canaccord upgraded ICF International to Buy from Hold with a price target of $115, up from $90, following a transfer of coverage. The company saw "major setbacks" in 2025 as 43% of its sales are tied to the U.S. federal government, the analyst tells investors in a research note. Canaccord believes the value of ICF's "resilient franchise" is being "obscured by cyclical rather than structural challenges." The firm says the company "delivers value across the full life cycle of policies, programs, projects, and initiatives for a diverse client base." It thinks ICF is set for continued strong demand as governments and businesses "face evolving challenges."

Barrington

Outperform

maintain

$102 -> $107

2025-08-11

Reason

Barrington

Price Target

$102 -> $107

2025-08-11

maintain

Outperform

Reason

Barrington raised the firm's price target on ICF International to $107 from $102 and keeps an Outperform rating on the shares post the Q2 report. The firm increased profitability forecasts citing signs of stabilization in the company's federal business and growth in its commercial energy segment.

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ICFI Should I Buy

ICFI Should I Buy

Should You Buy ICF International Inc (ICFI) Today? Analysis, Price Targets, and 2026 Outlook.

Technical Analysis

Options Data

Technical Summary

Positive Catalysts

Neutral/Negative Catalysts

Financial Performance

Growth

Profitability

Efficiency

Analyst Ratings and Price Target Trends

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