Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS) Shares Gap Up – Here’s Why

Dillard’s, Inc. (NYSE:DDS)’s share price gapped up before the market opened on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $388.51, but opened at $402.95. Dillard’s shares last traded at $404.56, with a volume of 8,128 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Dillard’s from $194.00 to $198.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday. Telsey Advisory Group increased their price objective on shares of Dillard’s from $380.00 to $450.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday. Finally, StockNews.com raised Dillard’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday.

Dillard’s Stock Performance

The business’s fifty day moving average is $374.46 and its two-hundred day moving average is $398.09. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.92 billion, a PE ratio of 10.53 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 (NYSE:DDS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 15th. The company reported $4.59 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.97 by ($1.38). The business had revenue of $1.49 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.53 billion. Dillard’s had a return on equity of 34.29% and a net margin of 9.94%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $7.98 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Dillard’s, Inc. will post 31.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Dillard’s Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, November 4th. Investors of record on Monday, September 30th were given a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 30th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.23%. Dillard’s’s dividend payout ratio is currently 2.46%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Robert C. Connor bought 100 shares of Dillard’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 19th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $346.82 per share, with a total value of $34,682.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 78,000 shares in the company, valued at $27,051,960. The trade was a 0.13 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 33.80% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Dillard’s

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Dillard’s during the third quarter worth $611,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its holdings in Dillard’s by 5.5% during the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,867 shares of the company’s stock valued at $881,000 after buying an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC boosted its position in Dillard’s by 38.4% in the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 29,030 shares of the company’s stock valued at $12,785,000 after buying an additional 8,051 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Dillard’s by 15.5% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 394,909 shares of the company’s stock worth $186,255,000 after acquiring an additional 52,974 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in shares of Dillard’s by 25.8% during the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 429 shares of the company’s stock worth $165,000 after acquiring an additional 88 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.15% of the company’s stock.

Dillard’s Company Profile

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.