Dillard’s, Inc. (NYSE:DDS) Receives Average Rating of “Reduce” from Brokerages

Dillard’s, Inc. (NYSE:DDS) has earned a consensus rating of “Reduce” from the five research firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and three have assigned a hold rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $521.3333.

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on DDS shares. UBS Group raised their price objective on Dillard’s from $460.00 to $465.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Dillard’s in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Wall Street Zen lowered Dillard’s from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 28th. Telsey Advisory Group lowered their price objective on Dillard’s from $700.00 to $650.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered Dillard’s from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd.

Dillard’s Price Performance

Shares of NYSE DDS opened at $540.51 on Friday. Dillard’s has a fifty-two week low of $386.85 and a fifty-two week high of $741.97. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $580.45 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $619.96. The company has a quick ratio of 1.31, a current ratio of 2.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. The firm has a market cap of $8.44 billion, a PE ratio of 12.85 and a beta of 1.17.

Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 14th. The company reported $16.04 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $10.13 by $5.91. Dillard’s had a return on equity of 31.89% and a net margin of 10.09%.The firm had revenue of $1.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.55 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $10.39 EPS. Dillard’s’s quarterly revenue was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that Dillard’s will post 32.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Dillard’s Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 4th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st were given a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.2%. Dillard’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 3.30%.

More Dillard’s News

Here are the key news stories impacting Dillard’s this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 earnings came in well above estimates at $16.04 per share versus about $10 expected, while revenue also topped forecasts, signaling better-than-anticipated profitability and demand. Dillard’s, Inc. Reports First Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Comparable-store sales rose 3% and total retail sales increased 3%, showing improving traffic and stronger merchandise demand across all major categories. Dillard’s Q1 Earnings & Sales Beat Estimates, Retail Sales Up 3%
• Positive Sentiment: Gross margin improved to 45.8% and net income jumped to $250.6 million, helped by a favorable litigation settlement and better operating leverage. Dillard’s Shares Rise After Earnings Beat Fueled by Litigation Settlement (DDS)
• Neutral Sentiment: Management opened a new store in Ohio and raised inventory slightly, but also noted higher operating expenses, which could temper margin gains if costs stay elevated. Dillard’s, Inc. Reports First Quarter Results
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts remain cautious, arguing the strength may be temporary because results were aided by one-time litigation gains and may not fully reflect underlying retail demand. Dillard’s: Strength Is Temporary

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in shares of Dillard’s by 24.3% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 28,681 shares of the company’s stock worth $17,624,000 after acquiring an additional 5,604 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new position in shares of Dillard’s in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,565,000. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Dillard’s by 16.9% in the 4th quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 17,794 shares of the company’s stock worth $11,289,000 after acquiring an additional 2,575 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. grew its position in shares of Dillard’s by 15.4% in the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 50,010 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,730,000 after acquiring an additional 6,682 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Monument Capital Management grew its position in shares of Dillard’s by 818.6% in the 4th quarter. Monument Capital Management now owns 4,198 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,545,000 after acquiring an additional 3,741 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.15% of the company’s stock.

About Dillard’s

Dillard’s, Inc (NYSE:DDS), headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, is a U.S.-based department store chain founded by William T. Dillard in 1938. Over more than eight decades of operation, the company has grown from a single store in Nashville, Arkansas, to a prominent retailer with a national footprint. Dillard’s equity is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker DDS.

The company operates approximately 280 departmental stores across 29 states, offering a broad assortment of merchandise that includes men’s and women’s apparel, accessories, cosmetics, footwear, and home furnishings.