J.Jill (NYSE:JILL) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.67 EPS

J.Jill (NYSE:JILL) announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The specialty retailer reported $1.24 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.57 by $0.67, FiscalAI reports. The company had revenue of $154.83 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $151.26 million. J.Jill had a return on equity of 24.44% and a net margin of 3.56%.

J.Jill Stock Performance

Shares of JILL stock opened at $19.78 on Wednesday. J.Jill has a one year low of $10.40 and a one year high of $20.89. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $18.14 and a 200-day moving average of $15.44. The company has a market cap of $295.74 million, a P/E ratio of 14.44 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 0.60.

J.Jill Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.09 per share. This represents a $0.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 23rd. J.Jill’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 26.28%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Mark W. Webb sold 3,745 shares of J.Jill stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.30, for a total value of $76,023.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 173,048 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,512,874.40. The trade was a 2.12% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders have sold 11,158 shares of company stock valued at $225,984 in the last 90 days. 4.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On J.Jill

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd grew its position in shares of J.Jill by 40.0% in the 1st quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd now owns 11,210 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $219,000 after buying an additional 3,205 shares during the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers lifted its position in J.Jill by 11.7% in the 1st quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 7,908 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $154,000 after acquiring an additional 829 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of J.Jill by 11.9% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 175,286 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $2,567,000 after purchasing an additional 18,576 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its stake in J.Jill by 39.7% during the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 19,010 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $278,000 after acquiring an additional 5,406 shares during the period. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP boosted its holdings in J.Jill by 3.7% in the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 23,682 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $347,000 after purchasing an additional 840 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 40.71% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. TD Cowen increased their price target on shares of J.Jill from $14.00 to $18.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of J.Jill from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $16.00 price target on shares of J.Jill in a research report on Wednesday, June 10th. Telsey Advisory Group increased their price objective on shares of J.Jill from $14.00 to $18.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 3rd. Finally, Zacks Research raised J.Jill from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, June 5th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $17.50.

About J.Jill

J.Jill is a women’s apparel retailer specializing in modern, versatile clothing and accessories. The company designs and markets a range of products that emphasize comfort and style, including knitwear, woven tops, pants, dresses, outerwear, jewelry, and footwear. Through its in-house design team, J.Jill focuses on creating seasonal collections that appeal to women seeking effortless, mix-and-match wardrobes.

Products are sold through a multi-channel distribution network comprising company-operated boutiques, e-commerce platforms, and catalog sales.