Rollins, Inc. (NYSE:ROL) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Rollins, Inc. (NYSE:ROL) has received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the six brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and three have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $51.00.

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on ROL. Barclays initiated coverage on Rollins in a research report on Monday, November 4th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $50.00 price target for the company. StockNews.com upgraded Rollins from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Rollins from $56.00 to $58.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, December 16th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted 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, December 12th.

Rollins Stock Down 0.6 %

NYSE ROL opened at $46.41 on Thursday. Rollins has a one year low of $40.41 and a one year high of $52.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 0.78. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $48.80 and a 200 day moving average price of $49.23. The company has a market cap of $22.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.34 and a beta of 0.72.

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

Rollins Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 12th were paid a $0.165 dividend. This represents a $0.66 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.42%. This is an increase from Rollins’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 12th. Rollins’s payout ratio is 68.75%.

Insider Transactions at Rollins

In related news, major shareholder Timothy Curtis Rollins sold 14,750 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.88, for a total transaction of $735,730.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 124,214 shares in the company, valued at $6,195,794.32. This trade represents a 10.61 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 4.69% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Rollins

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new stake in Rollins during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Quest Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Rollins during the second quarter worth $33,000. Ridgewood Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Rollins in the second quarter valued at $34,000. True Wealth Design LLC grew its stake in Rollins by 4,272.2% during the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 787 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 769 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. increased its holdings in Rollins by 10,233.3% during the 2nd quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 930 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 921 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 51.79% of the company’s stock.

About Rollins

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.