Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS) Shares Gap Up – What’s Next?

Dillard’s, Inc. (NYSE:DDS) shares gapped up before the market opened on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $388.51, but opened at $402.95. Dillard’s shares last traded at $404.56, with a volume of 8,128 shares traded.

Analyst Ratings Changes

DDS has been the subject of several recent research reports. StockNews.com upgraded Dillard’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Dillard’s from $194.00 to $198.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a report on Friday. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group upped their price target on shares of Dillard’s from $380.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday.

Dillard’s Trading Down 1.3 %

The company has a 50-day moving average price of $374.46 and a 200 day moving average price of $398.09. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.53 and a beta of 0.86. The company has a current ratio of 3.14, a quick ratio of 1.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27.

Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 15th. The company reported $4.59 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.97 by ($1.38). Dillard’s had a net margin of 9.94% and a return on equity of 34.29%. The firm had revenue of $1.49 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.53 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $7.98 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts forecast that Dillard’s, Inc. will post 31.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Dillard’s Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, November 4th. Investors of record on Monday, September 30th were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 30th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.23%. Dillard’s’s payout ratio is 2.46%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Robert C. Connor acquired 100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 19th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $346.82 per share, with a total value of $34,682.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 78,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $27,051,960. This trade represents a 0.13 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 33.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of DDS. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Dillard’s during the second quarter valued at $26,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new stake in Dillard’s during the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. US Bancorp DE grew its stake in Dillard’s by 61.3% during the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 129 shares of the company’s stock valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Dillard’s in the third quarter valued at about $70,000. Finally, Point72 Hong Kong Ltd raised its stake in shares of Dillard’s by 430.3% in the second quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd now owns 175 shares of the company’s stock worth $77,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.15% of the company’s stock.

Dillard’s Company Profile

Dillard's, Inc operates retail department stores in the southeastern, southwestern, and midwestern areas of the United States. The company's stores offer merchandise, including fashion apparel for women, men, and children; and accessories, cosmetics, home furnishings, and other consumer goods.