J.Jill (NYSE:JILL) Stock Rating Lowered by Zacks Research

J.Jill (NYSE:JILL) was downgraded by equities researchers at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $16.00 price target on shares of J.Jill in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. BTIG Research decreased their price target on shares of J.Jill from $21.00 to $18.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of J.Jill in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of J.Jill in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded J.Jill from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, April 4th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $17.25.

J.Jill Stock Up 0.5%

Shares of NYSE JILL opened at $12.23 on Tuesday. J.Jill has a 52-week low of $10.40 and a 52-week high of $18.80. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $15.16 and a 200-day moving average of $15.25. The stock has a market capitalization of $182.36 million, a PE ratio of 6.72 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59.

J.Jill (NYSE:JILL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 31st. The specialty retailer reported ($0.02) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.12) by $0.10. J.Jill had a net margin of 4.68% and a return on equity of 30.77%. The company had revenue of $138.41 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $135.55 million. On average, analysts anticipate that J.Jill will post 3.36 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On J.Jill

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its position in J.Jill by 83.1% in the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,483 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 673 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its position in shares of J.Jill by 1.8% during the third quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 40,210 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $690,000 after purchasing an additional 717 shares during the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers lifted its position in shares of J.Jill by 11.7% during the first quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 7,908 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $154,000 after purchasing an additional 829 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its position in shares of J.Jill by 3.7% during the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 23,682 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $347,000 after purchasing an additional 840 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Barclays PLC lifted its position in shares of J.Jill by 10.8% during the fourth quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 11,417 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $157,000 after purchasing an additional 1,111 shares during the last quarter. 40.71% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About J.Jill

J.Jill is a women’s apparel retailer specializing in modern, versatile clothing and accessories. The company designs and markets a range of products that emphasize comfort and style, including knitwear, woven tops, pants, dresses, outerwear, jewelry, and footwear. Through its in-house design team, J.Jill focuses on creating seasonal collections that appeal to women seeking effortless, mix-and-match wardrobes.

Products are sold through a multi-channel distribution network comprising company-operated boutiques, e-commerce platforms, and catalog sales.