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

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

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

Dillard’s Stock Down 0.5 %

NYSE:DDS opened at $359.93 on Wednesday. Dillard’s has a 1-year low of $328.00 and a 1-year high of $510.00. The company has a 50-day moving average of $456.22 and a 200 day moving average of $414.23. The firm has a market cap of $5.72 billion, a PE ratio of 9.26 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 2.38 and a quick ratio of 1.02.

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

Insider Transactions at Dillard’s

In related news, VP Tom W. Bolin sold 300 shares of the firm’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 directly owns 1,167 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $505,836.15. This trade represents a 20.45 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 33.80% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Dillard’s

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in DDS. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH purchased a new stake in Dillard’s during the fourth quarter worth approximately $405,000. Gordian Capital Singapore Pte Ltd purchased a new stake in Dillard’s during the fourth quarter worth approximately $70,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its stake in Dillard’s by 27.0% during the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 10,132 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,374,000 after purchasing an additional 2,155 shares during the last quarter. Summit Street Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Dillard’s during the fourth quarter worth approximately $9,155,000. Finally, Quantinno Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in Dillard’s during the fourth quarter worth approximately $285,000. 67.15% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.