Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS) Trading Down 2.3% – Here’s What Happened

Dillard’s, Inc. (NYSE:DDS)’s stock price was down 2.3% on Friday . The company traded as low as $355.70 and last traded at $354.21. Approximately 41,991 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 69% from the average daily volume of 137,229 shares. The stock had previously closed at $362.71.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

DDS has been the topic of several recent research reports. Telsey Advisory Group restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $450.00 price target on shares of Dillard’s in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. UBS Group upped their target price on Dillard’s from $200.00 to $202.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, February 28th. Finally, StockNews.com raised Dillard’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th.

Dillard’s Stock Performance

The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $446.79 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $415.38. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.68 billion, a PE ratio of 9.19 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a current ratio of 2.38, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27.

Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 25th. The company reported $13.48 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $9.84 by $3.64. Dillard’s had a return on equity of 32.13% and a net margin of 9.55%. The firm had revenue of $2.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.49 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $15.44 earnings per share. Dillard’s’s quarterly revenue was down 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Dillard’s, Inc. will post 33.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Dillard’s Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 5th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.28%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. Dillard’s’s dividend payout ratio is currently 2.71%.

Insider Activity at Dillard’s

In related news, VP Tom W. Bolin sold 300 shares of Dillard’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $433.45, for a total transaction of $130,035.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 1,167 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $505,836.15. This trade represents a 20.45 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 33.80% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Dillard’s

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in DDS. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its position in Dillard’s by 177.3% during the fourth quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 61 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new position in shares of Dillard’s during the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. US Bancorp DE boosted its holdings in Dillard’s by 61.3% in the third quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 129 shares of the company’s stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. Gordian Capital Singapore Pte Ltd acquired a new position in Dillard’s during the fourth quarter worth $70,000. Finally, KBC Group NV raised its holdings in Dillard’s by 85.3% during the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 215 shares of the company’s stock valued at $93,000 after buying an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. 67.15% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Dillard’s

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.