Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS) Downgraded by StockNews.com to Hold

StockNews.com cut shares of Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report released on Tuesday.

DDS has been the topic of several other research reports. Telsey Advisory Group boosted their target price on Dillard’s from $380.00 to $450.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 15th. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Dillard’s from $196.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th.

Dillard’s Stock Down 8.5 %

Dillard’s stock opened at $399.31 on Tuesday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $464.08 and a 200-day moving average of $414.45. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 2.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. Dillard’s has a twelve month low of $328.00 and a twelve month high of $510.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.35 billion, a PE ratio of 10.28 and a beta of 0.88.

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

Dillard’s Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 5th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st will be paid a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.25%. Dillard’s’s dividend payout ratio is presently 2.71%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP Tom W. Bolin sold 300 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $433.45, for a total value of $130,035.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 1,167 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $505,836.15. This trade represents a 20.45 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders own 33.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Dillard’s

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in DDS. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Dillard’s by 177.3% in the fourth quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 61 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the period. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new position in Dillard’s in the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in Dillard’s during the fourth quarter worth approximately $36,000. US Bancorp DE boosted its holdings in shares of Dillard’s by 61.3% during the third quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 129 shares of the company’s stock worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 49 shares during the period. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Dillard’s in the third quarter valued at approximately $70,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.15% of the company’s stock.

Dillard’s Company Profile

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.