StockNews.com Upgrades Rollins (NYSE:ROL) to Buy

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Rollins (NYSE:ROL) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note published on Friday morning.

Several other equities analysts also recently issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Rollins from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Rollins from $56.00 to $58.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, December 16th. Finally, Barclays started coverage on Rollins in a research note on Monday, November 4th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $50.00 price target for the company. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $51.00.

Rollins Stock Performance

ROL stock opened at $46.68 on Friday. Rollins has a 1 year low of $40.41 and a 1 year high of $52.16. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.63 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 0.78. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $48.87 and its two-hundred day moving average is $49.24.

Rollins (NYSE:ROL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 23rd. The business services provider reported $0.29 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.30 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $916.27 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.28 earnings per share. On average, research analysts predict that Rollins will post 0.99 EPS for the current year.

Rollins Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 12th were issued a $0.165 dividend. This is an increase from Rollins’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. This represents a $0.66 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.41%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, November 12th. Rollins’s payout ratio is presently 68.75%.

Insider Activity at Rollins

In related news, insider Elizabeth B. Chandler sold 4,685 shares of Rollins stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.49, for a total value of $236,545.65. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 84,653 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,274,129.97. This trade represents a 5.24 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Timothy Curtis Rollins sold 14,750 shares of the business’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 sale, the insider now owns 124,214 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,195,794.32. The trade was a 10.61 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 4.69% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. boosted its stake in Rollins by 10,233.3% in the 2nd quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 930 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 921 shares during the period. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. raised its position in Rollins by 3.9% during the second quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 23,326 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,138,000 after buying an additional 886 shares during the period. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. purchased a new stake in Rollins in the 2nd quarter worth about $393,000. iA Global Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in Rollins by 147.1% during the 2nd quarter. iA Global Asset Management Inc. now owns 40,204 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,962,000 after acquiring an additional 23,933 shares during the period. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd grew its stake in Rollins by 2.0% during the 2nd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 31,811 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,552,000 after acquiring an additional 618 shares in the last quarter. 51.79% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.