Rollins (NYSE:ROL) Sets New 12-Month Low Following Analyst Downgrade

Rollins, Inc. (NYSE:ROL)’s share price reached a new 52-week low on Wednesday after Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on the stock from $60.00 to $45.00. Morgan Stanley currently has an overweight rating on the stock. Rollins traded as low as $29.72 and last traded at $29.9430, with a volume of 827063 shares. The stock had previously closed at $30.50.

Several other research analysts have also commented on the company. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $45.00 price target on Rollins and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Argus lowered Rollins from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Rollins in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $46.00 target price for the company. Bank of America reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $35.00 price target (down from $55.00) on shares of Rollins in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, Barclays set a $45.00 price target on shares of Rollins and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $45.94.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. National Pension Service boosted its holdings in shares of Rollins by 138.3% in the 4th quarter. National Pension Service now owns 51,277 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $3,078,000 after acquiring an additional 29,758 shares during the last quarter. Dudley & Shanley Inc. increased its stake in shares of Rollins by 8.8% in the second quarter. Dudley & Shanley Inc. now owns 495,655 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $20,689,000 after acquiring an additional 39,925 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio raised its holdings in shares of Rollins by 16.8% during the first quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 216,278 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $11,551,000 after purchasing an additional 31,173 shares during the last quarter. Amundi lifted its position in Rollins by 71.4% during the second quarter. Amundi now owns 1,851,904 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $77,300,000 after purchasing an additional 771,578 shares during the period. Finally, Danske Bank A S purchased a new stake in Rollins in the second quarter valued at $61,792,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 51.79% of the company’s stock.

Rollins Stock Performance

The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $35.85 and its 200 day simple moving average is $45.22. The company has a market capitalization of $14.45 billion, a PE ratio of 27.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.33 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 0.63 and a quick ratio of 0.58.

Rollins (NYSE:ROL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 22nd. The business services provider reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.34 by ($0.02). Rollins had a net margin of 13.55% and a return on equity of 38.81%. The company had revenue of $1.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.09 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.30 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 7.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that Rollins, Inc. will post 1.17 EPS for the current year.

Rollins Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 10th were issued a $0.1825 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 10th. This represents a $0.73 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. Rollins’s payout ratio is presently 66.36%.

About Rollins

Rollins, Inc is a global provider of pest and wildlife control services. The company serves residential and commercial customers with solutions for common pests, including insects, rodents, termites, bedbugs and mosquitoes. Its services also include wildlife management, sanitation and related specialty treatments.

Rollins operates through a portfolio of well-known brands, including Orkin, Terminix, HomeTeam Pest Defense and Critter Control. These brands provide recurring pest prevention, inspections, extermination, termite control and other property protection services to homeowners, businesses and institutions.

Founded in 1948 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Rollins has expanded its operations across the United States and into international markets.