Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS) Sees Strong Trading Volume – Here’s What Happened

Dillard’s, Inc. (NYSE:DDS) shares saw unusually-strong trading volume on Friday . Approximately 188,100 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 40% from the previous session’s volume of 134,832 shares.The stock last traded at $307.43 and had previously closed at $364.04.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on DDS. StockNews.com raised shares of Dillard’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 19th. Telsey Advisory Group restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $450.00 price target on shares of Dillard’s in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price target on Dillard’s from $200.00 to $202.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, February 28th.

Dillard’s Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 2.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The company has a market capitalization of $5.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.13 and a beta of 0.89. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $417.16 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $416.81.

Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 25th. The company reported $13.48 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $9.84 by $3.64. Dillard’s had a net margin of 9.55% and a return on equity of 32.13%. The firm had revenue of $2.05 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.49 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $15.44 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Dillard’s, Inc. will post 33.25 earnings per share 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 given a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.32%. Dillard’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 2.71%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Dillard’s 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 transaction, the vice president now owns 1,167 shares in the company, valued at approximately $505,836.15. This trade represents a 20.45 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 33.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Dillard’s

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of DDS. State Street Corp grew its stake in Dillard’s by 3.7% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 76,515 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,377,000 after acquiring an additional 2,758 shares in the last quarter. Consolidated Planning Corp lifted its stake in Dillard’s by 154.5% in the 4th quarter. Consolidated Planning Corp now owns 1,514 shares of the company’s stock worth $654,000 after purchasing an additional 919 shares in the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Dillard’s by 7.7% during the 4th quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 352,006 shares of the company’s stock worth $151,975,000 after purchasing an additional 25,212 shares during the last quarter. Stifel Financial Corp grew its position in shares of Dillard’s by 10.1% in the third quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 5,105 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,957,000 after purchasing an additional 467 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Dillard’s in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $7,270,000. 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.