Meeder Asset Management Inc. Boosts Holdings in Rollins, Inc. (NYSE:ROL)

Meeder Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Rollins, Inc. (NYSE:ROL) by 16,415.7% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 36,830 shares of the business services provider’s stock after buying an additional 36,607 shares during the period. Meeder Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Rollins were worth $1,863,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Quest Partners LLC purchased a new position in Rollins during the second quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Ridgewood Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of Rollins during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Quent Capital LLC lifted its stake in shares of Rollins by 43.9% in the 2nd quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 774 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 236 shares during the period. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. boosted its holdings in Rollins by 10,233.3% during the second quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 930 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 921 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new stake in Rollins during the third quarter valued at $52,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 51.79% of the company’s stock.

Rollins Stock Up 0.3 %

Shares of NYSE:ROL opened at $50.05 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $24.24 billion, a PE ratio of 52.14 and a beta of 0.70. Rollins, Inc. has a 1 year low of $39.20 and a 1 year high of $52.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.72. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $49.56 and its two-hundred day moving average is $48.73.

Rollins (NYSE:ROL) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The business services provider reported $0.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.30 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $916.27 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $911.15 million. Rollins had a net margin of 14.18% and a return on equity of 38.67%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.28 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Rollins, Inc. will post 0.99 EPS for the current year.

Rollins Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 12th will be given a dividend of $0.165 per share. This is a boost from Rollins’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. This represents a $0.66 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.32%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 12th. Rollins’s dividend payout ratio is currently 68.75%.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Elizabeth B. Chandler sold 4,685 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.49, for a total transaction of $236,545.65. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 84,653 shares in the company, valued at $4,274,129.97. This represents a 5.24 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, major shareholder Timothy Curtis Rollins sold 14,750 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.88, for a total value of $735,730.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 124,214 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,195,794.32. This represents a 10.61 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 24,120 shares of company stock worth $1,209,993. 4.69% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Barclays began coverage on shares of Rollins in a research report on Monday, November 4th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $50.00 price objective for the company. StockNews.com lowered Rollins from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Rollins from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $52.00 price target on shares of Rollins in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $49.83.

Rollins Company Profile

Rollins, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides pest and wildlife control services to residential and commercial customers in the United States and internationally. The company offers pest control services to residential properties protecting from common pests, including rodents, insects, and wildlife.