MML Investors Services LLC Reduces Stock Holdings in Rollins, Inc. (NYSE:ROL)

MML Investors Services LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Rollins, Inc. (NYSE:ROL) by 1.4% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 52,709 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 753 shares during the quarter. MML Investors Services LLC’s holdings in Rollins were worth $2,666,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ROL. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Rollins by 1.5% during the 2nd quarter. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC now owns 10,023,281 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $489,036,000 after buying an additional 148,316 shares during the last quarter. Montrusco Bolton Investments Inc. lifted its holdings in Rollins by 14.0% in the third quarter. Montrusco Bolton Investments Inc. now owns 9,397,497 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $465,503,000 after acquiring an additional 1,154,722 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its holdings in Rollins by 4.9% in the second quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 2,825,569 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $137,860,000 after acquiring an additional 133,100 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in Rollins by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,167,949 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $109,655,000 after purchasing an additional 31,458 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of Rollins by 8.7% during the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,156,892 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $105,247,000 after purchasing an additional 172,009 shares during the period. 51.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Rollins Price Performance

ROL opened at $48.77 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $23.62 billion, a PE ratio of 50.80 and a beta of 0.72. Rollins, Inc. has a twelve month low of $40.41 and a twelve month high of $52.16. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $49.35 and a 200 day moving average price of $49.19. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34.

Rollins (NYSE:ROL) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The business services provider reported $0.29 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.30 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $916.27 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $911.15 million. Rollins had a net margin of 14.18% and a return on equity of 38.67%. Rollins’s revenue was up 9.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.28 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Rollins, Inc. will post 0.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Rollins Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 12th were issued a $0.165 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, November 12th. This represents a $0.66 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.35%. This is a positive change from Rollins’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. Rollins’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 68.75%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on ROL shares. Barclays started coverage on shares of Rollins in a research note on Monday, November 4th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $50.00 target price for the company. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Rollins from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday. StockNews.com cut Rollins from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Rollins from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $50.67.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Rollins news, insider Elizabeth B. Chandler sold 4,685 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.49, for a total value of $236,545.65. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 84,653 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,274,129.97. This trade represents a 5.24 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Timothy Curtis Rollins sold 14,750 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.88, for a total value of $735,730.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 124,214 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,195,794.32. This trade represents a 10.61 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 4.69% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.