Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS) Reaches New 12-Month High Following Strong Earnings

Shares of Dillard’s, Inc. (NYSE:DDS) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The company traded as high as $720.00 and last traded at $721.56, with a volume of 29169 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $605.96.

The company reported $8.31 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.48 by $1.83. Dillard’s had a return on equity of 30.55% and a net margin of 8.87%.During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $7.73 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year.

Dillard’s Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, November 3rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 30th were given a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 30th. This is an increase from Dillard’s’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.25. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.2%. Dillard’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 3.31%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

DDS has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Telsey Advisory Group raised their price target on Dillard’s from $450.00 to $550.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, August 15th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Dillard’s from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, September 26th. UBS Group upped their target price on Dillard’s from $175.00 to $184.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Dillard’s from $368.00 to $458.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 28th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Dillard’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 8th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Dillard’s presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $397.33.

Insider Buying and Selling at Dillard’s

In other news, Director J C. Watts, Jr. sold 750 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $594.60, for a total value of $445,950.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 10,250 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,094,650. This represents a 6.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 34.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Dillard’s

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in shares of Dillard’s by 7.5% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 300 shares of the company’s stock valued at $184,000 after buying an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in Dillard’s by 1.8% in the second quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,325 shares of the company’s stock valued at $554,000 after acquiring an additional 23 shares during the last quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas increased its stake in Dillard’s by 2.3% in the third quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 1,040 shares of the company’s stock valued at $639,000 after purchasing an additional 23 shares in the last quarter. US Bancorp DE raised its holdings in Dillard’s by 12.3% during the 1st quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 293 shares of the company’s stock worth $105,000 after buying an additional 32 shares during the period. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC lifted its stake in Dillard’s by 3.5% in the 1st quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 959 shares of the company’s stock valued at $343,000 after acquiring an additional 32 shares in the last quarter. 67.15% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Dillard’s Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a current ratio of 2.68. The company has a market cap of $11.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.96 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $601.33 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $496.34.

About Dillard’s

Dillard’s, Inc engages in the retail of fashion apparel, cosmetics, and home furnishings, and other consumer goods. It operates through the Retail Operations and Construction segments. The Retail Operations segment comprises sells cosmetics, ladies’ apparel, ladies’ accessories and lingerie, juniors’ and children’s apparel, men’s apparel and accessories, shoes, and home and furniture products.