Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS) Upgraded to Buy by StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday morning.

Several other research firms have also recently weighed in on DDS. Telsey Advisory Group dropped their price target on shares of Dillard’s from $475.00 to $380.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 16th. UBS Group lowered their price objective on Dillard’s from $202.00 to $194.00 and set a sell rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 16th.

Dillard’s Stock Performance

Shares of Dillard’s stock opened at $368.48 on Tuesday. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $369.97 and its 200 day moving average price is $411.46. The company has a market cap of $5.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.37 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 1.62 and a current ratio of 3.14. Dillard’s has a one year low of $286.39 and a one year high of $476.48.

Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 15th. The company reported $4.59 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.97 by ($1.38). Dillard’s had a return on equity of 34.29% and a net margin of 9.94%. The company had revenue of $1.49 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.53 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $7.98 EPS. The firm’s revenue was down 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Dillard’s will post 31.2 EPS for the current year.

Dillard’s Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 4th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 30th will be given a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.27%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 30th. Dillard’s’s dividend payout ratio is presently 2.27%.

Insider Transactions at Dillard’s

In related news, Director Robert C. Connor bought 100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 19th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $346.82 per share, for a total transaction of $34,682.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 78,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $27,051,960. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Company insiders own 33.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Dillard’s

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Dillard’s by 6.7% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 62,843 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,367,000 after purchasing an additional 3,942 shares during the period. Quadrature Capital Ltd acquired a new stake in Dillard’s in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $9,036,000. Hennessy Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in Dillard’s by 43.5% in the first quarter. Hennessy Advisors Inc. now owns 13,200 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,226,000 after acquiring an additional 4,000 shares during the last quarter. Duality Advisers LP grew its holdings in Dillard’s by 90.8% during the 1st quarter. Duality Advisers LP now owns 7,213 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,402,000 after acquiring an additional 3,433 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its position in shares of Dillard’s by 5.5% in the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,867 shares of the company’s stock valued at $881,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. 67.15% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Dillard’s Company Profile

Dillard's, Inc operates retail department stores in the southeastern, southwestern, and midwestern areas of the United States. The company's stores offer merchandise, including fashion apparel for women, men, and children; and accessories, cosmetics, home furnishings, and other consumer goods.