StockNews.com Upgrades Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS) to “Buy”

Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS) was upgraded by StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued on Wednesday.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on the company. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $450.00 target price on shares of Dillard’s in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. UBS Group upped their target price on Dillard’s from $200.00 to $202.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, February 28th.

Dillard’s Price Performance

Shares of DDS opened at $360.64 on Wednesday. Dillard’s has a 52-week low of $328.00 and a 52-week high of $510.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a current ratio of 2.38. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $439.97 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $415.54. The firm has a market cap of $5.74 billion, a PE ratio of 9.28 and a beta of 0.89.

Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 25th. The company reported $13.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $9.84 by $3.64. Dillard’s had a return on equity of 32.13% and a net margin of 9.55%. The firm had revenue of $2.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.49 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $15.44 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was down 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Dillard’s will post 33.25 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Dillard’s

In related news, VP Tom W. Bolin sold 300 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $433.45, for a total value of $130,035.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 1,167 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $505,836.15. This represents a 20.45 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 33.80% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Dillard’s

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH purchased a new stake in Dillard’s in the 4th quarter valued at $405,000. Gordian Capital Singapore Pte Ltd purchased a new stake in Dillard’s in the 4th quarter valued at $70,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its stake in Dillard’s by 27.0% in the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 10,132 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,374,000 after purchasing an additional 2,155 shares during the period. Summit Street Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Dillard’s in the 4th quarter valued at $9,155,000. Finally, Quantinno Capital Management LP bought a new position in Dillard’s in the 4th quarter valued at $285,000. 67.15% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Dillard’s Company Profile

Dillard’s, Inc engages in the retail of fashion apparel, cosmetics, and home furnishings, and other consumer goods. It operates through the Retail Operations and Construction segments. The Retail Operations segment comprises sells cosmetics, ladies’ apparel, ladies’ accessories and lingerie, juniors’ and children’s apparel, men’s apparel and accessories, shoes, and home and furniture products.