Avanza Fonder AB Takes Position in Rollins, Inc. (NYSE:ROL)

Avanza Fonder AB purchased a new position in Rollins, Inc. (NYSE:ROL - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 22,737 shares of the business services provider's stock, valued at approximately $1,054,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of ROL. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its position in Rollins by 54.7% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 173,943 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $8,725,000 after acquiring an additional 61,475 shares during the period. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new position in shares of Rollins in the third quarter worth approximately $1,428,000. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP purchased a new stake in shares of Rollins during the third quarter valued at approximately $5,102,000. Intech Investment Management LLC increased its position in shares of Rollins by 13.7% during the third quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 661,997 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $33,484,000 after acquiring an additional 79,546 shares in the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in Rollins by 22.6% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 2,280,005 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $115,323,000 after acquiring an additional 420,399 shares during the last quarter. 51.79% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on ROL. UBS Group boosted their target price on Rollins from $52.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Rollins from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Barclays began coverage on Rollins in a research note on Monday, November 4th. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $50.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Rollins from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $52.00 price target on shares of Rollins in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Rollins has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $51.50.

Rollins Price Performance

Shares of ROL traded up $0.10 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $48.40. The stock had a trading volume of 1,986,853 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,451,933. The firm has a market cap of $23.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.42 and a beta of 0.75. Rollins, Inc. has a 12 month low of $40.41 and a 12 month high of $52.16. The business has a fifty day moving average of $48.34 and a 200 day moving average of $48.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 0.78.

Rollins (NYSE:ROL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The business services provider reported $0.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.30 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $916.27 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $911.15 million. Rollins had a return on equity of 38.67% and a net margin of 14.18%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 9.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.28 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Rollins, Inc. will post 0.99 EPS for the current year.

Rollins Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 12th were issued a $0.165 dividend. This is an increase from Rollins's previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. This represents a $0.66 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.36%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 12th. Rollins's payout ratio is currently 68.75%.

Insider Transactions at Rollins

In related news, major shareholder Timothy Curtis Rollins sold 14,750 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.88, for a total value of $735,730.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 124,214 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,195,794.32. This trade represents a 10.61 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 4.69% of the company's stock.

Rollins Profile

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.