Wakefield Asset Management LLLP Makes New Investment in Dillard’s, Inc. $DDS

Wakefield Asset Management LLLP bought a new position in shares of Dillard’s, Inc. (NYSE:DDS) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 2,208 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,344,000.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of DDS. Quarry LP purchased a new stake in Dillard’s during the third quarter worth $33,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Dillard’s by 790.0% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 89 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its position in Dillard’s by 110.6% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 139 shares of the company’s stock worth $50,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Dillard’s during the third quarter worth $52,000. Finally, BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S purchased a new stake in Dillard’s during the second quarter worth $55,000. 67.15% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have commented on DDS. Wall Street Zen downgraded Dillard’s from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 28th. UBS Group boosted their price target on Dillard’s from $460.00 to $465.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Telsey Advisory Group cut their price target on Dillard’s from $700.00 to $650.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Dillard’s in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Dillard’s from $524.00 to $449.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $521.33.

Dillard’s News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Dillard’s this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 earnings came in well above estimates at $16.04 per share versus about $10 expected, while revenue also topped forecasts, signaling better-than-anticipated profitability and demand. Dillard’s, Inc. Reports First Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Comparable-store sales rose 3% and total retail sales increased 3%, showing improving traffic and stronger merchandise demand across all major categories. Dillard’s Q1 Earnings & Sales Beat Estimates, Retail Sales Up 3%
• Positive Sentiment: Gross margin improved to 45.8% and net income jumped to $250.6 million, helped by a favorable litigation settlement and better operating leverage. Dillard’s Shares Rise After Earnings Beat Fueled by Litigation Settlement (DDS)
• Neutral Sentiment: Management opened a new store in Ohio and raised inventory slightly, but also noted higher operating expenses, which could temper margin gains if costs stay elevated. Dillard’s, Inc. Reports First Quarter Results
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts remain cautious, arguing the strength may be temporary because results were aided by one-time litigation gains and may not fully reflect underlying retail demand. Dillard’s: Strength Is Temporary

Dillard’s Stock Performance

NYSE DDS opened at $540.51 on Friday. Dillard’s, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $386.85 and a fifty-two week high of $741.97. The stock has a market cap of $8.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.85 and a beta of 1.17. The business has a fifty day moving average of $580.45 and a 200-day moving average of $619.96. The company has a quick ratio of 1.31, a current ratio of 2.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24.

Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The company reported $16.04 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $10.13 by $5.91. Dillard’s had a return on equity of 31.89% and a net margin of 10.09%.The company had revenue of $1.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.55 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $10.39 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Dillard’s, Inc. will post 32.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Dillard’s Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 4th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st were issued a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 31st. Dillard’s’s payout ratio is 3.30%.

About Dillard’s

Dillard’s, Inc (NYSE:DDS), headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, is a U.S.-based department store chain founded by William T. Dillard in 1938. Over more than eight decades of operation, the company has grown from a single store in Nashville, Arkansas, to a prominent retailer with a national footprint. Dillard’s equity is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker DDS.

The company operates approximately 280 departmental stores across 29 states, offering a broad assortment of merchandise that includes men’s and women’s apparel, accessories, cosmetics, footwear, and home furnishings.