Dillard's (NYSE:DDS) Sets New 1-Year High - Still a Buy?

Dillard's, Inc. (NYSE:DDS - Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $492.99 and last traded at $480.59, with a volume of 28201 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $476.85.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

DDS has been the topic of several research analyst reports. UBS Group boosted their target price on Dillard's from $194.00 to $198.00 and gave the stock a "sell" rating in a research note on Friday, November 15th. Telsey Advisory Group upped their price objective on shares of Dillard's from $380.00 to $450.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a report on Friday, November 15th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Dillard's from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday.

Dillard's Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $7.44 billion, a PE ratio of 12.04 and a beta of 0.89. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $449.85 and its 200 day moving average price is $402.52. The company has a current ratio of 2.38, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27.

Dillard's Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Monday, January 6th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 16th were given a dividend of $25.00 per share. This represents a yield of 5.68%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 13th. Dillard's's dividend payout ratio is currently 2.57%.

Insider Activity at Dillard's

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 value of $130,035.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 1,167 shares in the company, valued at $505,836.15. The trade was a 20.45 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 33.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Dillard's

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Pacer Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Dillard's in the third quarter valued at about $125,388,000. Clientfirst Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Dillard's in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $48,873,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Dillard's by 229.1% in the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 18,249 shares of the company's stock valued at $7,002,000 after purchasing an additional 12,704 shares during the last quarter. LMR Partners LLP acquired a new position in Dillard's during the third quarter worth $4,796,000. Finally, Millennium Management LLC grew its holdings in Dillard's by 38.4% in the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 29,030 shares of the company's stock valued at $12,785,000 after buying an additional 8,051 shares in the last quarter. 67.15% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.