J.Jill (NYSE:JILL) Downgraded by Zacks Research to Strong Sell

J.Jill (NYSE:JILL) was downgraded by analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

JILL has been the topic of several other reports. Wall Street Zen raised shares of J.Jill from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday. BTIG Research cut their price objective on J.Jill from $26.00 to $21.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $18.00 target price on J.Jill in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $16.00 price target on shares of J.Jill in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of J.Jill in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $18.00.

J.Jill Stock Up 0.5%

J.Jill stock opened at $15.88 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $239.87 million, a PE ratio of 7.25 and a beta of 0.94. J.Jill has a 12 month low of $13.32 and a 12 month high of $28.94. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $14.75 and a 200-day simple moving average of $15.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.15 and a quick ratio of 0.64.

J.Jill (NYSE:JILL) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, December 10th. The specialty retailer reported $0.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.58 by $0.18. J.Jill had a return on equity of 36.33% and a net margin of 5.60%.The firm had revenue of $150.53 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $148.38 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.89 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that J.Jill will post 3.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On J.Jill

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of JILL. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its position in shares of J.Jill by 83.1% during 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 period. Copeland Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in J.Jill in the second quarter worth approximately $56,000. Rhumbline Advisers increased its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 829 shares during the last quarter. Occudo Quantitative Strategies LP purchased a new stake in J.Jill in the third quarter valued at $201,000. Finally, Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd lifted its stake in shares of J.Jill by 40.0% in the 1st quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd now owns 11,210 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $219,000 after purchasing an additional 3,205 shares during the last quarter. 40.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

J.Jill Company Profile

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.