Carter’s (NYSE:CRI) Reaches New 52-Week Low – Time to Sell?

Carter’s, Inc. (NYSE:CRI) hit a new 52-week low on Monday . The company traded as low as $38.84 and last traded at $39.37, with a volume of 76355 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $39.79.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CRI has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Carter’s from $65.00 to $48.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. UBS Group cut their target price on shares of Carter’s from $57.00 to $49.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Carter’s from $50.00 to $45.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have given a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $49.00.

Carter’s Trading Up 1.7 %

The firm has a market cap of $1.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.37 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 2.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The business’s 50 day moving average is $49.65 and its 200-day moving average is $56.21.

Carter’s (NYSE:CRI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 25th. The textile maker reported $2.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.87 by $0.52. Carter’s had a return on equity of 27.15% and a net margin of 8.11%. The firm had revenue of $859.70 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $835.82 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.76 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that Carter’s, Inc. will post 5.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Carter’s Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be given a $0.80 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $3.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.91%. Carter’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 62.62%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Carter’s

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of CRI. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Carter’s by 6.3% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,245,943 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $67,518,000 after purchasing an additional 74,133 shares in the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new position in shares of Carter’s during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $683,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in Carter’s by 109.0% in the 4th quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 174,814 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $9,473,000 after acquiring an additional 91,162 shares during the period. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Carter’s by 79.3% in the 3rd quarter. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC now owns 152,560 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $9,913,000 after buying an additional 67,460 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ruffer LLP bought a new position in shares of Carter’s in the fourth quarter worth $635,000.

Carter’s Company Profile

Carter’s, Inc engages in the business of brand marketing of young children’s apparel. It operates through the following segments: the United States (US) Retail, US Wholesale, and International. The US Retail segment includes selling products through retail stores and ecommerce websites. The US Wholesale segment focuses on wholesale partners.