Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS) Shares Gap Down – Time to Sell?

Dillard’s, Inc. (NYSE:DDS) gapped down before the market opened on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $636.02, but opened at $605.00. Dillard’s shares last traded at $586.9520, with a volume of 14,397 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have weighed in on DDS. Wall Street Zen downgraded Dillard’s from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Zacks Research cut Dillard’s from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Dillard’s from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, UBS Group upped their price objective on Dillard’s from $460.00 to $465.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $521.33.

Dillard’s Price Performance

The company has a market cap of $9.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.26 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $573.24 and a 200-day simple moving average of $587.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 2.37 and a quick ratio of 1.20.

Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 13th. The company reported $6.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.29 by $1.96. Dillard’s had a return on equity of 31.43% and a net margin of 10.09%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Dillard’s, Inc. will post 35.26 earnings per share for the current year.

Dillard’s Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 3rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 30th were paid a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 30th. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.2%. Dillard’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 2.85%.

Insider Transactions at Dillard’s

In other Dillard’s news, Director J C. Watts, Jr. sold 400 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $609.18, for a total transaction of $243,672.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 10,150 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,183,177. This represents a 3.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 34.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. boosted its stake in Dillard’s by 108.7% in the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 48 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 25 shares during the period. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Dillard’s during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in Dillard’s during the 3rd quarter valued at $33,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Dillard’s by 6,300.0% in the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 64 shares of the company’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Dillard’s by 790.0% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 89 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. 67.15% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Dillard’s Company Profile

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.