Dillard’s, Inc. (NYSE:DDS) Sees Large Decline in Short Interest

by · The Markets Daily

Dillard’s, Inc. (NYSE:DDS – Get Free Report) was the target of a significant drop in short interest in the month of October. As of October 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,090,000 shares, a drop of 7.6% from the September 30th total of 1,180,000 shares. Currently, 13.4% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 157,700 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 6.9 days.

Dillard’s Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:DDS traded down $5.28 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $371.79. 115,508 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 116,471. Dillard’s has a one year low of $286.39 and a one year high of $476.48. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $364.24 and a 200 day moving average of $400.39. The company has a market cap of $6.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.16 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 1.62 and a current ratio of 3.14.

Dillard’s (NYSE:DDS – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 15th. The company reported $4.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.97 by ($1.38). Dillard’s had a net margin of 9.94% and a return on equity of 34.29%. The company had revenue of $1.49 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.53 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $7.98 EPS. The business’s revenue was down 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Dillard’s will post 31.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Dillard’s Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 4th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 30th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.27%. Dillard’s’s dividend payout ratio is presently 2.46%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently commented on DDS. Telsey Advisory Group cut their target price on Dillard’s from $475.00 to $380.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 16th. StockNews.com raised shares of Dillard’s from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 17th. Finally, UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of Dillard’s from $202.00 to $194.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 16th.

Get Our Latest Research Report on DDS

Insider Buying and Selling at Dillard’s

In other Dillard’s news, Director Robert C. Connor purchased 100 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 19th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $346.82 per share, with a total value of $34,682.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 78,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,051,960. The trade was a 0.00 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 33.80% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Dillard’s

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of DDS. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Dillard’s by 15.5% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 394,909 shares of the company’s stock worth $186,255,000 after purchasing an additional 52,974 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Dillard’s by 36.0% in the second quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 124,200 shares of the company’s stock worth $54,696,000 after buying an additional 32,900 shares during the last quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Dillard’s by 1.3% in the first quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 99,225 shares of the company’s stock worth $46,798,000 after buying an additional 1,265 shares during the last quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in Dillard’s by 16.7% during the third quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 49,006 shares of the company’s stock valued at $18,803,000 after buying an additional 7,006 shares during the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. raised its position in Dillard’s by 2.0% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 42,803 shares of the company’s stock worth $18,850,000 after acquiring an additional 830 shares during the period. 67.15% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Dillard’s

(Get Free Report)

Dillard's, Inc operates retail department stores in the southeastern, southwestern, and midwestern areas of the United States. The company's stores offer merchandise, including fashion apparel for women, men, and children; and accessories, cosmetics, home furnishings, and other consumer goods.

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