Guess? (NYSE:GES) Sees Large Volume Increase – Still a Buy?

Guess?, Inc. (NYSE:GES) saw strong trading volume on Wednesday . 1,039,326 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 108% from the previous session’s volume of 500,322 shares.The stock last traded at $16.7750 and had previously closed at $16.77.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have issued reports on GES. Zacks Research cut shares of Guess? from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 12th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Guess? in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $16.75 price target on shares of Guess? in a research report on Wednesday, November 26th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, Guess? has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $16.75.

Guess? Price Performance

The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $16.90 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $15.72. The company has a market capitalization of $874.82 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.11 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a current ratio of 1.63, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14.

Guess? (NYSE:GES) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 25th. The company reported $0.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.25 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $791.43 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $767.93 million. Guess? had a return on equity of 16.11% and a net margin of 2.56%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.34 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Guess?, Inc. will post 1.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Guess? Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 26th. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 10th were paid a $0.225 dividend. This represents a $0.90 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.4%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 10th. Guess?’s payout ratio is currently 81.08%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Guess? during the 3rd quarter worth about $38,000. FNY Investment Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Guess? in the third quarter valued at about $50,000. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Guess? during the third quarter worth about $110,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in shares of Guess? by 193.9% during the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 6,809 shares of the company’s stock worth $82,000 after purchasing an additional 4,492 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund raised its position in shares of Guess? by 9.5% during the 3rd quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 6,912 shares of the company’s stock worth $116,000 after purchasing an additional 600 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 61.74% of the company’s stock.

Guess? Company Profile

Guess?, Inc is a global fashion brand known for its lifestyle apparel, footwear and accessories. The company designs, markets and distributes a portfolio of apparel products under various brands, including its flagship Guess line and the premium Marciano label. Through its vertically integrated business model, Guess? oversees product development, manufacturing arrangements, marketing and distribution across wholesale and retail channels.

Guess?’s product offerings span denim, ready-to-wear, handbags, watches, jewelry and footwear for men, women and children.