Guess? (NYSE:GES) Sees Large Volume Increase – Here’s Why

Guess?, Inc. (NYSE:GES) shares saw unusually-high trading volume on Wednesday . Approximately 1,039,326 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 108% from the previous session’s volume of 500,322 shares.The stock last traded at $16.7750 and had previously closed at $16.77.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have commented on GES shares. Zacks Research cut Guess? from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 12th. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $16.75 price target on shares of Guess? in a research report on Wednesday, November 26th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Guess? in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, Guess? has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $16.75.

Guess? Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $874.82 million, a PE ratio of 15.11 and a beta of 0.96. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $16.90 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $15.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 1.63.

Guess? (NYSE:GES) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 25th. The company reported $0.35 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.25 by $0.10. Guess? had a return on equity of 16.11% and a net margin of 2.56%.The firm had revenue of $791.43 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $767.93 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.34 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Guess?, Inc. will post 1.92 EPS for the current year.

Guess? Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 26th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 10th were issued a dividend of $0.225 per share. This represents a $0.90 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.4%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 10th. Guess?’s payout ratio is currently 81.08%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Guess?

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Guess? in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $11,727,000. Senvest Management LLC purchased a new position in Guess? in the second quarter worth approximately $8,251,000. ABC Arbitrage SA purchased a new position in Guess? in the third quarter worth approximately $6,079,000. Alpine Associates Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Guess? during the third quarter worth $5,772,000. Finally, Alberta Investment Management Corp purchased a new stake in Guess? in the third quarter valued at $5,479,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 61.74% of the company’s stock.

Guess? Company Profile

Guess?, Inc is a global fashion brand known for its lifestyle apparel, footwear and accessories. The company designs, markets and distributes a portfolio of apparel products under various brands, including its flagship Guess line and the premium Marciano label. Through its vertically integrated business model, Guess? oversees product development, manufacturing arrangements, marketing and distribution across wholesale and retail channels.

Guess?’s product offerings span denim, ready-to-wear, handbags, watches, jewelry and footwear for men, women and children.