Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS) Stock Price Crosses Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Dillard’s, Inc. (NYSE:DDS) shares passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $585.55 and traded as high as $650.00. Dillard’s shares last traded at $626.1020, with a volume of 160,080 shares changing hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Dillard’s from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Dillard’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 15th. UBS Group upped their target price on Dillard’s from $465.00 to $468.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research report on Monday, August 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Dillard’s from $496.00 to $519.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Monday, August 17th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded Dillard’s from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Dillard’s presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $545.67.

Dillard’s Stock Up 4.3%

The stock has a market capitalization of $10.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.92 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 3.03 and a quick ratio of 1.58. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $593.67 and its two-hundred day moving average is $585.23.

Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The company reported $6.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.29 by $1.96. The company had revenue of $1.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.52 billion. Dillard’s had a return on equity of 31.88% and a net margin of 10.48%. As a group, research analysts predict that Dillard’s, Inc. will post 35.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Dillard’s Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 2nd. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.30 per share. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, September 30th. Dillard’s’s dividend payout ratio is currently 2.75%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Dillard’s

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of DDS. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Dillard’s in the fourth quarter worth about $36,598,000. Convergence Investment Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Dillard’s during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,423,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its position in shares of Dillard’s by 28,394.2% in the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 226,529 shares of the company’s stock valued at $137,354,000 after acquiring an additional 225,734 shares in the last quarter. CPC Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Dillard’s in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $1,938,000. Finally, Wedge Capital Management L L P NC boosted its stake in Dillard’s by 6.4% in the 2nd quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC now owns 65,318 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,515,000 after purchasing an additional 3,907 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.15% of the company’s stock.

Dillard’s Company Profile

Dillard’s, Inc is an American department-store retailer headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. The company operates department stores and clearance centers offering a broad selection of fashion apparel, accessories, cosmetics, footwear, home furnishings and other merchandise. Its stores generally feature products for women, men and children, along with home-related goods and services.

Dillard’s also sells merchandise through its e-commerce platform, extending its retail business beyond its physical locations.