AlphaQuest LLC Boosts Stock Position in Rollins, Inc. (NYSE:ROL)

AlphaQuest LLC increased its holdings in shares of Rollins, Inc. (NYSE:ROL - Free Report) by 359.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 46,061 shares of the business services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 36,032 shares during the period. AlphaQuest LLC's holdings in Rollins were worth $2,135,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich lifted its position in shares of Rollins by 50.3% during the fourth quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich now owns 465,743 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $22,439,000 after purchasing an additional 155,861 shares during the last quarter. Machina Capital S.A.S. increased its stake in Rollins by 96.4% in the 4th quarter. Machina Capital S.A.S. now owns 14,686 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $681,000 after buying an additional 7,209 shares during the period. Andra AP fonden bought a new stake in Rollins during the 4th quarter valued at about $681,000. Edgestream Partners L.P. bought a new position in Rollins in the 4th quarter worth about $3,408,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC increased its position in shares of Rollins by 18.4% during the fourth quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC now owns 4,765 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $221,000 after acquiring an additional 740 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 51.79% of the company's stock.

Rollins Stock Down 0.7 %

NYSE ROL traded down $0.36 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $51.92. 1,420,199 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,569,029. Rollins, Inc. has a 52 week low of $41.72 and a 52 week high of $53.72. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $49.36 and its 200-day simple moving average is $49.38. The company has a market cap of $25.14 billion, a PE ratio of 54.09 and a beta of 0.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 0.69 and a quick ratio of 0.62.

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Rollins (NYSE:ROL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The business services provider reported $0.23 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.23. Rollins had a return on equity of 37.94% and a net margin of 13.76%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Rollins, Inc. will post 1.09 earnings per share for the current year.

Rollins Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 25th were given a $0.165 dividend. This represents a $0.66 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.27%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 25th. Rollins's payout ratio is currently 68.75%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently issued reports on ROL shares. StockNews.com upgraded Rollins from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Rollins from $56.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, December 16th. UBS Group increased their price target on Rollins from $52.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Canaccord Genuity Group lifted their price objective on Rollins from $48.00 to $49.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Rollins from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $52.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Elizabeth B. Chandler sold 13,193 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.18, for a total value of $675,217.74. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 76,526 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,916,600.68. This trade represents a 14.70 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Traci Hornfeck sold 3,224 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $53.10, for a total value of $171,194.40. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 9,602 shares in the company, valued at approximately $509,866.20. This trade represents a 25.14 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 18,338 shares of company stock worth $945,882 in the last 90 days. 4.69% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About Rollins

Rollins, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides pest and wildlife control services to residential and commercial customers in the United States and internationally. The company offers pest control services to residential properties protecting from common pests, including rodents, insects, and wildlife.