Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS) Sees Strong Trading Volume – Time to Buy?

Dillard’s, Inc. (NYSE:DDS) saw unusually-strong trading volume on Friday . Approximately 188,100 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 40% from the previous session’s volume of 134,832 shares.The stock last traded at $307.43 and had previously closed at $364.04.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

DDS has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. StockNews.com upgraded Dillard’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 19th. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $450.00 target price on shares of Dillard’s in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price target on Dillard’s from $200.00 to $202.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, February 28th.

Dillard’s Stock Down 1.4 %

The company has a 50-day moving average of $417.16 and a 200-day moving average of $416.81. The company has a current ratio of 2.38, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The company has a market capitalization of $5.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.13 and a beta of 0.89.

Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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. The firm had revenue of $2.05 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.49 billion. Dillard’s had a net margin of 9.55% and a return on equity of 32.13%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $15.44 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Dillard’s, Inc. will post 33.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Dillard’s Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.32%. Dillard’s’s payout ratio is currently 2.71%.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Tom W. Bolin sold 300 shares of Dillard’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $433.45, for a total transaction of $130,035.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 1,167 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $505,836.15. The trade was a 20.45 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 33.80% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Dillard’s

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of DDS. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Dillard’s by 177.3% in the fourth quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 61 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the period. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new stake in Dillard’s in the fourth quarter valued at $36,000. Gordian Capital Singapore Pte Ltd acquired a new stake in Dillard’s during the 4th quarter worth about $70,000. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its stake in shares of Dillard’s by 7,566.7% during the 1st quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 230 shares of the company’s stock valued at $82,000 after buying an additional 227 shares during the last quarter. Finally, KBC Group NV lifted its holdings in shares of Dillard’s by 85.3% in the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 215 shares of the company’s stock valued at $93,000 after buying an additional 99 shares during the period. 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.