Dole’s (DOLE) “Hold” Rating Reiterated at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft

Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated their hold rating on shares of Dole (NYSE:DOLE) in a research note published on Monday morning, Marketbeat reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft currently has a $15.00 target price on the stock, down from their previous target price of $18.00.

Several other research firms have also weighed in on DOLE. Wall Street Zen lowered Dole from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 7th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Dole in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $15.50.

Dole Stock Performance

DOLE stock opened at $14.26 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The company has a market capitalization of $1.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.90, a P/E/G ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 0.67. Dole has a 12 month low of $12.52 and a 12 month high of $16.57. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $15.31 and a two-hundred day moving average of $14.45.

Dole (NYSE:DOLE) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The company reported $0.14 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.12 by $0.02. Dole had a net margin of 0.56% and a return on equity of 7.81%. The business had revenue of $2.37 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.32 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.16 EPS. Dole’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Dole will post 1.19 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Dole Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 8th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 18th will be issued a $0.085 dividend. This represents a $0.34 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 18th. Dole’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 64.15%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Dole

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Dole by 28.5% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 48,685 shares of the company’s stock worth $703,000 after purchasing an additional 10,793 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Dole by 4.4% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 44,593 shares of the company’s stock worth $644,000 after purchasing an additional 1,879 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC bought a new stake in Dole during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $6,749,000. Jane Street Group LLC boosted its stake in Dole by 87.6% during the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 213,786 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,089,000 after purchasing an additional 99,842 shares during the period. Finally, Creative Planning grew its holdings in Dole by 66.5% in the 2nd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 49,218 shares of the company’s stock valued at $689,000 after buying an additional 19,660 shares during the last quarter.

About Dole

Dole plc is a global producer, marketer and distributor of fresh fruits and vegetables. The company’s product range includes bananas, pineapples, berries, grapes, salads and a variety of other fresh and packaged produce, sold under the Dole brand and through private-label arrangements. Dole’s operations span the full fresh-produce value chain, from farming and sourcing to packing, ripening, cold‑chain logistics and wholesale and retail distribution, supporting both retail grocery and foodservice customers.

The company traces its commercial heritage to the early 20th century Hawaiian pineapple business founded by James Dole and has evolved through subsequent corporate restructurings and combinations.