J.Jill, Inc. (NYSE:JILL) CEO Sells $134,900.00 in Stock

J.Jill, Inc. (NYSE:JILL) CEO Claire Spofford sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.98, for a total value of $134,900.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 151,812 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,095,887.76. This trade represents a 3.19 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Claire Spofford also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Thursday, December 12th, Claire Spofford sold 6,601 shares of J.Jill stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.75, for a total value of $189,778.75.

J.Jill Stock Performance

Shares of JILL stock traded down $1.47 on Wednesday, reaching $25.68. The stock had a trading volume of 154,017 shares, compared to its average volume of 135,470. The company has a quick ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $25.86 and its two-hundred day moving average is $30.17. The firm has a market capitalization of $393.93 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.07 and a beta of 0.64. J.Jill, Inc. has a 12 month low of $23.06 and a 12 month high of $40.61.

J.Jill Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 9th. Investors of record on Thursday, December 26th will be issued a dividend of $0.07 per share. This represents a $0.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.09%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 26th. J.Jill’s payout ratio is presently 9.89%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on JILL shares. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $31.00 price target on shares of J.Jill in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. TD Cowen decreased their target price on shares of J.Jill from $37.00 to $32.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, September 5th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price objective on shares of J.Jill from $44.00 to $40.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, September 4th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $38.17.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On J.Jill

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its stake in shares of J.Jill by 7.0% during the 2nd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 480,056 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $16,788,000 after buying an additional 31,400 shares during the last quarter. Royce & Associates LP boosted its holdings in shares of J.Jill by 39.3% during the third quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 422,463 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $10,422,000 after acquiring an additional 119,282 shares during the period. Paradigm Capital Management Inc. NY grew its position in shares of J.Jill by 109.3% in the second quarter. Paradigm Capital Management Inc. NY now owns 346,856 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $12,130,000 after purchasing an additional 181,116 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP increased its stake in shares of J.Jill by 539.4% during the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 304,273 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $10,640,000 after purchasing an additional 256,687 shares during the period. Finally, Divisadero Street Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in J.Jill during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $7,120,000. 40.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About J.Jill

J.Jill, Inc operates as an omnichannel retailer for women's apparel under the J.Jill brand in the United States. It offers apparel, footwear, and accessories, including scarves and jewelry. The company markets its products through retail stores, website, and catalogs. J.Jill, Inc was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in Quincy, Massachusetts.