Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS) Cut to Hold at StockNews.com

StockNews.com downgraded shares of Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the stock. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Dillard’s from $196.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. Telsey Advisory Group upped their price objective on Dillard’s from $380.00 to $450.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 15th.

Dillard’s Trading Down 8.5 %

Dillard’s stock opened at $399.31 on Tuesday. Dillard’s has a 12 month low of $328.00 and a 12 month high of $510.00. The stock has a market cap of $6.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.28 and a beta of 0.88. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $464.08 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $414.45. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 2.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27.

Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 25th. The company reported $13.48 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $9.84 by $3.64. The firm had revenue of $2.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.49 billion. Dillard’s had a return on equity of 32.13% and a net margin of 9.55%. Dillard’s’s quarterly revenue was down 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $15.44 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Dillard’s will post 33.25 EPS for the current year.

Dillard’s Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be issued a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.25%. Dillard’s’s payout ratio is 2.71%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, VP Tom W. Bolin sold 300 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $433.45, for a total value of $130,035.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 1,167 shares in the company, valued at approximately $505,836.15. This trade represents a 20.45 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 33.80% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Dillard’s

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Pacer Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Dillard’s in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $125,388,000. Clientfirst Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Dillard’s in the 4th quarter valued at $48,873,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its position in shares of Dillard’s by 107.2% during the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 77,050 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,266,000 after acquiring an additional 39,858 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC raised its holdings in Dillard’s by 3,989.8% during the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 37,790 shares of the company’s stock worth $16,315,000 after purchasing an additional 36,866 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP lifted its position in Dillard’s by 47.0% during the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 81,779 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,307,000 after purchasing an additional 26,132 shares during the period. 67.15% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Dillard’s Company Profile

Dillard’s, Inc engages in the retail of fashion apparel, cosmetics, and home furnishings, and other consumer goods. It operates through the Retail Operations and Construction segments. The Retail Operations segment comprises sells cosmetics, ladies’ apparel, ladies’ accessories and lingerie, juniors’ and children’s apparel, men’s apparel and accessories, shoes, and home and furniture products.