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

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report released on Friday morning.

Several other research firms have also commented on DDS. Telsey Advisory Group increased their target price on Dillard’s from $380.00 to $450.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Dillard’s from $194.00 to $198.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday.

Dillard’s Stock Down 1.4 %

DDS stock traded down $6.14 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $426.92. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 214,845 shares, compared to its average volume of 118,445. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $376.07 and a 200-day simple moving average of $397.95. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.51 and a beta of 0.86. The company has a quick ratio of 1.62, a current ratio of 3.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. Dillard’s has a 52-week low of $314.57 and a 52-week high of $476.48.

Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 15th. The company reported $4.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.97 by ($1.38). Dillard’s had a net margin of 9.94% and a return on equity of 34.29%. The company had revenue of $1.49 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.53 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $7.98 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Dillard’s will post 31.2 EPS for the current year.

Dillard’s Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, November 4th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 30th were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.23%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 30th. Dillard’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 2.46%.

Insider Activity

In other Dillard’s news, Director Robert C. Connor bought 100 shares of Dillard’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 19th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $346.82 per share, with a total value of $34,682.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 78,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $27,051,960. This represents a 0.13 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 33.80% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Dillard’s

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Dillard’s during the 2nd quarter worth $26,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new position in Dillard’s during the third quarter worth about $29,000. US Bancorp DE lifted its position in Dillard’s by 61.3% in the third quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 129 shares of the company’s stock valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Dillard’s in the third quarter valued at $70,000. Finally, Point72 Hong Kong Ltd grew its holdings in shares of Dillard’s by 430.3% in the 2nd quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd now owns 175 shares of the company’s stock worth $77,000 after acquiring an additional 142 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.15% of the company’s stock.

About Dillard’s

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.