Guess? (NYSE:GES) Sees Strong Trading Volume – Here’s What Happened

Guess?, Inc. (NYSE:GES) shares saw unusually-strong trading volume on Thursday . Approximately 852,507 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 75% from the previous session’s volume of 486,270 shares.The stock last traded at $16.8050 and had previously closed at $16.86.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have commented on GES. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $16.75 price objective on shares of Guess? in a research note on Wednesday, November 26th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Guess? in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Guess? from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $16.75.

Guess? Stock Performance

The company has a fifty day moving average of $16.86 and a 200 day moving average of $16.07. The stock has a market cap of $877.16 million, a P/E ratio of 15.15 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.63 and a quick ratio of 0.79.

Guess? (NYSE:GES) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 25th. The company reported $0.35 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.25 by $0.10. Guess? had a return on equity of 16.11% and a net margin of 2.56%.The company had revenue of $791.43 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $767.93 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.34 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 7.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that Guess?, Inc. will post 1.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Guess? Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 26th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 10th were given a dividend of $0.225 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 10th. This represents a $0.90 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.4%. Guess?’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 81.08%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Guess?

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of GES. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its position in Guess? by 41.0% in the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 110,797 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,856,000 after purchasing an additional 32,199 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position in Guess? by 0.4% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 261,185 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,364,000 after acquiring an additional 925 shares in the last quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in Guess? in the third quarter valued at approximately $50,000. Advisory Services Network LLC acquired a new stake in Guess? in the third quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Finally, First Trust Capital Management L.P. bought a new stake in Guess? in the third quarter worth approximately $1,150,000. 61.74% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Guess?

Guess?, Inc is a global fashion brand known for its lifestyle apparel, footwear and accessories. The company designs, markets and distributes a portfolio of apparel products under various brands, including its flagship Guess line and the premium Marciano label. Through its vertically integrated business model, Guess? oversees product development, manufacturing arrangements, marketing and distribution across wholesale and retail channels.

Guess?’s product offerings span denim, ready-to-wear, handbags, watches, jewelry and footwear for men, women and children.