Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS) Shares Gap Down – Time to Sell?

Dillard’s, Inc. (NYSE:DDS)’s stock price gapped down before the market opened on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $636.02, but opened at $605.00. Dillard’s shares last traded at $586.9520, with a volume of 14,397 shares trading hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. Weiss Ratings lowered Dillard’s from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Wall Street Zen downgraded Dillard’s from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Dillard’s from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Dillard’s from $460.00 to $465.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $521.33.

Dillard’s Trading Down 5.9%

The firm has a market capitalization of $9.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.26 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $573.24 and a 200-day moving average price of $587.69. The company has a current ratio of 2.37, a quick ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21.

Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 13th. The company reported $6.25 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.29 by $1.96. Dillard’s had a return on equity of 31.43% and a net margin of 10.09%. On average, equities research analysts predict that Dillard’s, Inc. will post 35.26 EPS for the current year.

Dillard’s Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 3rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th were given a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 30th. Dillard’s’s payout ratio is currently 2.85%.

Insider Activity at Dillard’s

In other news, Director J C. Watts, Jr. sold 400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $609.18, for a total transaction of $243,672.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 10,150 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,183,177. This trade represents a 3.79% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 34.80% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Dillard’s

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its position in shares of Dillard’s by 322.9% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 3,510 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,257,000 after buying an additional 2,680 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Dillard’s by 110.6% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 139 shares of the company’s stock valued at $50,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Dillard’s by 18.3% in the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 44,703 shares of the company’s stock valued at $16,009,000 after acquiring an additional 6,913 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Dillard’s by 75.6% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 66,142 shares of the company’s stock worth $23,687,000 after purchasing an additional 28,468 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC acquired a new stake in Dillard’s in the 1st quarter worth approximately $3,746,000. 67.15% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Dillard’s Company Profile

Dillard’s, Inc (NYSE:DDS), headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, is a U.S.-based department store chain founded by William T. Dillard in 1938. Over more than eight decades of operation, the company has grown from a single store in Nashville, Arkansas, to a prominent retailer with a national footprint. Dillard’s equity is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker DDS.

The company operates approximately 280 departmental stores across 29 states, offering a broad assortment of merchandise that includes men’s and women’s apparel, accessories, cosmetics, footwear, and home furnishings.