StockNews.com Downgrades Dillard's (NYSE:DDS) to Hold

StockNews.com downgraded shares of Dillard's (NYSE:DDS - Free Report) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note released on Tuesday morning.

Several other brokerages have also recently weighed in on DDS. Telsey Advisory Group lifted their price target on Dillard's from $380.00 to $450.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research report on Friday, November 15th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Dillard's from $196.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a "sell" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th.

Dillard's Stock Down 2.4 %

Dillard's stock traded down $9.47 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $389.34. The company's stock had a trading volume of 369,590 shares, compared to its average volume of 124,029. Dillard's has a 52-week low of $328.00 and a 52-week high of $510.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.02 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. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $463.18 and its 200-day simple moving average is $414.45.

Dillard's (NYSE:DDS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 25th. The company reported $13.48 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $9.84 by $3.64. Dillard's had a net margin of 9.55% and a return on equity of 32.13%. The business had revenue of $2.05 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.49 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $15.44 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Dillard's will post 33.25 EPS for the current year.

Dillard's Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 5th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st will be paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.26%. Dillard's's dividend payout ratio is currently 2.71%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP Tom W. Bolin sold 300 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $433.45, for a total value 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 approximately $505,836.15. This trade represents a 20.45 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 33.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Dillard's

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Creative Planning lifted its stake in shares of Dillard's by 49.7% in the 3rd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 1,500 shares of the company's stock valued at $576,000 after purchasing an additional 498 shares during the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Dillard's by 11.0% in the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 455 shares of the company's stock worth $175,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC boosted its position in shares of Dillard's by 1,500.0% during the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 224 shares of the company's stock worth $86,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Dillard's in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $70,000. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in Dillard's by 70.9% in the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 1,176 shares of the company's stock valued at $451,000 after purchasing an additional 488 shares during the last quarter. 67.15% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Dillard's

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.