Kohl's Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NYSE:KSS)

Kohl's Co. (NYSE:KSS - Get Free Report) saw some unusual options trading activity on Wednesday. Traders bought 41,595 put options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 20% compared to the typical volume of 34,557 put options.

Kohl's Stock Up 2.7 %

Shares of KSS traded up $0.37 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $13.74. The company had a trading volume of 5,561,673 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,353,751. The company has a quick ratio of 0.12, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97. Kohl's has a 52 week low of $12.62 and a 52 week high of $29.60. The company's 50 day moving average price is $14.69 and its 200 day moving average price is $18.06. The stock has a market cap of $1.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.19 and a beta of 1.87.

Kohl's (NYSE:KSS - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, November 26th. The company reported $0.20 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.28 by ($0.08). The firm had revenue of $3.71 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.64 billion. Kohl's had a return on equity of 6.44% and a net margin of 1.47%. Kohl's's revenue was down 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.53 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Kohl's will post 1.31 EPS for the current year.

Kohl's Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 24th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 11th were issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 14.56%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 11th. Kohl's's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 90.09%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Feeney Siobhan Mc sold 3,827 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, January 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $14.05, for a total value of $53,769.35. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 133,091 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,869,928.55. This trade represents a 2.80 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.86% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Kohl's

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Quadrature Capital Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Kohl's by 151.8% during the third quarter. Quadrature Capital Ltd now owns 66,744 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,408,000 after purchasing an additional 40,238 shares during the period. Pacer Advisors Inc. grew its position in Kohl's by 149.3% in the 3rd quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 16,572,086 shares of the company's stock valued at $349,671,000 after buying an additional 9,925,878 shares in the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new position in Kohl's during the 3rd quarter valued at about $735,000. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Kohl's during the 3rd quarter worth about $2,694,000. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Kohl's by 226.4% in the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 137,531 shares of the company's stock worth $2,902,000 after acquiring an additional 95,398 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.04% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently issued reports on KSS. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Kohl's from $18.00 to $14.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. Gordon Haskett lowered shares of Kohl's from a "hold" rating to a "reduce" rating and set a $11.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Tuesday, November 26th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Kohl's from $17.00 to $15.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 25th. Baird R W lowered Kohl's from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 27th. Finally, TD Cowen reduced their price target on Kohl's from $20.00 to $16.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and eight have given a hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Kohl's presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $17.22.

About Kohl's

Kohl's Corporation operates as an omnichannel retailer in the United States. It offers branded apparel, footwear, accessories, beauty, and home products through its stores and website. The company provides its products primarily under the brand names of Croft & Barrow, Jumping Beans, SO, Sonoma Goods for Life, and Tek Gear, as well as Food Network, LC Lauren Conrad, Nine West, and Simply Vera Vera Wang.