Dillard's (NYSE:DDS) Sees Strong Trading Volume - Should You Buy?

Dillard's, Inc. (NYSE:DDS - Get Free Report) shares saw unusually-strong trading volume on Tuesday . Approximately 204,446 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 62% from the previous session's volume of 125,984 shares.The stock last traded at $377.24 and had previously closed at $371.32.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on DDS shares. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Dillard's from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Telsey Advisory Group reissued a "market perform" rating and set a $450.00 price target on shares of Dillard's in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. Finally, UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Dillard's from $200.00 to $202.00 and gave the stock a "sell" rating in a research report on Friday, February 28th.

Dillard's Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 2.38, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.68 billion, a PE ratio of 9.19 and a beta of 0.89. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $446.79 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $415.38.

Dillard's (NYSE:DDS - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 25th. The company reported $13.48 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 firm had revenue of $2.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.49 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $15.44 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was down 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Dillard's, Inc. will post 33.25 EPS for the current year.

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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 of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.28%. Dillard's's dividend payout ratio is currently 2.71%.

Insider Activity at Dillard's

In other Dillard's news, VP Tom W. Bolin sold 300 shares of Dillard's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $433.45, for a total transaction of $130,035.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 1,167 shares of the company's stock, 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 SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 33.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Dillard's

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Dillard's by 177.3% during the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 61 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new stake in Dillard's during the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. US Bancorp DE increased its stake in Dillard's by 61.3% during the third quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 129 shares of the company's stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares during the period. Gordian Capital Singapore Pte Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Dillard's during the fourth quarter worth about $70,000. Finally, KBC Group NV grew its position in shares of Dillard's by 85.3% during the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 215 shares of the company's stock worth $93,000 after buying an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.15% of the company's stock.

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.