Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS) Shares Gap Up – What’s Next?

Dillard’s, Inc. (NYSE:DDS) 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.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have commented on DDS. Telsey Advisory Group lowered their price target on shares of Dillard’s from $475.00 to $380.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 16th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Dillard’s from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their price objective on shares of Dillard’s from $202.00 to $194.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 16th.

Dillard’s Stock Up 11.4 %

The firm has a market cap of $7.00 billion, a PE ratio of 10.49 and a beta of 0.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 1.62 and a current ratio of 3.14. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $372.67 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $397.84.

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

Dillard’s Dividend Announcement

The firm 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 (DPR) is 2.46%.

Insider Activity at Dillard’s

In other Dillard’s news, Director Robert C. Connor purchased 100 shares of Dillard’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 19th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $346.82 per share, for a total transaction of $34,682.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 78,000 shares in the company, valued at $27,051,960. This trade represents a 0.00 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 33.80% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Dillard’s

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of DDS. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Dillard’s during the 2nd quarter worth $26,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new position in shares of Dillard’s during the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. US Bancorp DE grew its stake in shares of Dillard’s by 61.3% during the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 129 shares of the company’s stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares during the period. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new position in shares of Dillard’s during the 1st quarter worth $68,000. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Dillard’s during the 3rd quarter worth $70,000. 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.