Rollins (NYSE:ROL) Upgraded by StockNews.com to “Buy”

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Rollins (NYSE:ROL) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report released on Wednesday morning.

A number of other brokerages have also recently commented on ROL. Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of Rollins in a research note on Thursday, December 21st. They set an equal weight rating and a $42.00 price objective on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and set a $52.00 price target on shares of Rollins in a research report on Thursday, February 15th. UBS Group reiterated a neutral rating and issued a $49.00 price objective on shares of Rollins in a research report on Monday, April 15th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of Rollins in a research note on Tuesday, January 2nd. They set a buy rating and a $49.00 target price on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $46.83.

Rollins Price Performance

NYSE:ROL opened at $42.51 on Wednesday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $44.49 and its two-hundred day moving average is $41.90. The firm has a market cap of $20.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.31, a PEG ratio of 3.36 and a beta of 0.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a current ratio of 0.71. Rollins has a one year low of $32.19 and a one year high of $47.45.

Rollins (NYSE:ROL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 14th. The business services provider reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.21. The business had revenue of $754.10 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $753.40 million. Rollins had a return on equity of 35.97% and a net margin of 14.15%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 14.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.17 EPS. Research analysts expect that Rollins will post 0.99 EPS for the current year.

Rollins Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 11th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 21st were given a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 20th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.41%. Rollins’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 68.18%.

Insider Transactions at Rollins

In related news, CFO Kenneth D. Krause sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.18, for a total value of $230,900.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 99,078 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,575,422.04. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other Rollins news, CFO Kenneth D. Krause sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.18, for a total transaction of $230,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 99,078 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,575,422.04. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Thomas D. Tesh sold 5,147 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.00, for a total value of $236,762.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 35,387 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,627,802. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 22,824 shares of company stock valued at $994,558 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 4.69% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Rollins

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina boosted its position in Rollins by 14.9% during the third quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 118,662 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $4,430,000 after acquiring an additional 15,393 shares during the last quarter. Caprock Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Rollins during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,617,000. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. grew its position in shares of Rollins by 17.7% in the fourth quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 171,348 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $7,498,000 after purchasing an additional 25,709 shares in the last quarter. Crown Oak Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Rollins in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $9,547,000. Finally, Briaud Financial Planning Inc purchased a new position in Rollins during the third quarter worth approximately $98,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 51.79% of the company’s stock.

Rollins Company Profile

Rollins, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides pest and wildlife control services to residential and commercial customers in the United States and internationally. The company offers pest control services to residential properties protecting from common pests, including rodents, insects, and wildlife.