Aaron’s (NYSE:AAN) Coverage Initiated by Analysts at StockNews.com

StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Aaron’s (NYSE:AAN) in a research report sent to investors on Friday. The brokerage issued a hold rating on the stock.

Separately, Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $10.10 target price (down from $11.00) on shares of Aaron’s in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Aaron’s presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $9.46.

Aaron’s Stock Up 1.0 %

Shares of NYSE AAN opened at $10.09 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $318.06 million, a P/E ratio of -12.77 and a beta of 1.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 0.70. Aaron’s has a 1 year low of $6.62 and a 1 year high of $11.90. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $10.06 and a 200-day moving average price of $9.16.

Aaron’s (NYSE:AAN) last posted its earnings results on Monday, August 5th. The company reported ($0.07) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.03 by ($0.10). Aaron’s had a negative return on equity of 2.08% and a negative net margin of 2.06%. The firm had revenue of $503.10 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $513.91 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.39 EPS. The business’s revenue was down 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Aaron’s will post -0.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Aaron’s Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 13th were given a dividend of $0.125 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 13th. This represents a $0.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.96%. Aaron’s’s dividend payout ratio is currently -63.29%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Aaron’s

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Gladius Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in Aaron’s during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $41,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in Aaron’s by 314.4% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 5,101 shares of the company’s stock worth $51,000 after buying an additional 3,870 shares in the last quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC grew its position in shares of Aaron’s by 239.5% in the second quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 8,385 shares of the company’s stock valued at $84,000 after purchasing an additional 5,915 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Aaron’s in the third quarter valued at approximately $109,000. Finally, EMC Capital Management grew its position in shares of Aaron’s by 172.8% in the first quarter. EMC Capital Management now owns 12,211 shares of the company’s stock valued at $92,000 after purchasing an additional 7,735 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.99% of the company’s stock.

Aaron’s Company Profile

Headquartered in Atlanta, The Aaron’s Company, Inc (NYSE: AAN) is a leading, technology-enabled, omnichannel provider of lease-purchase solutions. Aaron’s engages in direct-to-consumer sales and lease ownership of furniture, appliances, consumer electronics and accessories through its approximately 1,300 company-operated and franchised stores in 47 states and Canada, as well as its e-commerce platform, Aarons.com.