Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS) Rating Increased to Buy at StockNews.com

Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS) was upgraded by StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued on Friday.

DDS has been the subject of several other reports. UBS Group lifted their price target on Dillard’s from $194.00 to $198.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday. Telsey Advisory Group boosted their target price on Dillard’s from $380.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday.

Dillard’s Trading Down 1.3 %

NYSE DDS traded down $5.58 on Friday, hitting $427.48. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 214,770 shares, compared to its average volume of 118,445. The firm has a market cap of $6.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.53 and a beta of 0.86. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $374.46 and its 200 day simple moving average is $398.09. Dillard’s has a 52-week low of $314.57 and a 52-week high of $476.48. The company has a current ratio of 3.14, a quick ratio of 1.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27.

Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 15th. The company reported $4.59 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.97 by ($1.38). Dillard’s had a net margin of 9.94% and a return on equity of 34.29%. The firm had revenue of $1.49 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.53 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $7.98 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that Dillard’s will post 31.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Dillard’s news, Director Robert C. Connor purchased 100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 19th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $346.82 per share, for a total transaction of $34,682.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 78,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $27,051,960. This trade represents a 0.13 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 33.80% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Dillard’s

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Dillard’s during the second quarter valued at about $26,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new position in Dillard’s during the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. US Bancorp DE increased its stake in Dillard’s by 61.3% in the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 129 shares of the company’s stock worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Dillard’s during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $70,000. Finally, Point72 Hong Kong Ltd boosted its position in shares of Dillard’s by 430.3% during the 2nd quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd now owns 175 shares of the company’s stock valued at $77,000 after acquiring an additional 142 shares during the last quarter. 67.15% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Dillard’s Company Profile

Dillard's, Inc operates retail department stores in the southeastern, southwestern, and midwestern areas of the United States. The company's stores offer merchandise, including fashion apparel for women, men, and children; and accessories, cosmetics, home furnishings, and other consumer goods.