Rollins (NYSE:ROL) Lowered to “Hold” Rating by StockNews.com

StockNews.com cut shares of Rollins (NYSE:ROL) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Wednesday morning.

Several other analysts have also issued reports on ROL. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Rollins from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Rollins from $56.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, December 16th. Barclays began coverage on Rollins in a research note on Monday, November 4th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $50.00 price objective for the company. Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $52.00 target price on shares of Rollins in a research report on Monday. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group assumed coverage on Rollins in a research report on Tuesday. They set a “hold” rating and a $48.00 price target for the company. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Rollins has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $50.83.

Rollins Stock Performance

Shares of ROL stock opened at $46.38 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. Rollins has a 12-month low of $40.41 and a 12-month high of $52.16. The business’s 50 day moving average is $48.58 and its two-hundred day moving average is $49.07. The company has a market capitalization of $22.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.31 and a beta of 0.75.

Rollins (NYSE:ROL) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The business services provider reported $0.29 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.30 by ($0.01). Rollins had a return on equity of 38.67% and a net margin of 14.18%. The business had revenue of $916.27 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $911.15 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.28 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect 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. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 12th were issued a $0.165 dividend. This represents a $0.66 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.42%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 12th. This is a boost from Rollins’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. Rollins’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 68.75%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, major shareholder Timothy Curtis Rollins sold 14,750 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.88, for a total value of $735,730.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 124,214 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,195,794.32. This represents a 10.61 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 4.69% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Rollins

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of ROL. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new stake in shares of Rollins during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Quest Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Rollins during the second quarter worth $33,000. True Wealth Design LLC raised its position in Rollins by 4,272.2% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 787 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 769 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its position in Rollins by 57.8% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 890 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 326 shares during the period. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new position in shares of Rollins in the 3rd quarter valued at $52,000. 51.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Rollins Company Profile

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.