Rollins (NYSE:ROL) Upgraded to Buy at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Rollins (NYSE:ROL) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report published on Wednesday.

A number of other research analysts have also commented on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on Rollins in a research report on Tuesday, January 2nd. They issued a buy rating and a $49.00 price objective on the stock. UBS Group restated a neutral rating and issued a $49.00 price target on shares of Rollins in a research report on Monday. Morgan Stanley began coverage on Rollins in a research report on Thursday, December 21st. They issued an equal weight rating and a $42.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and issued a $52.00 price target on shares of Rollins in a research report on Thursday, February 15th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $46.83.

Rollins Stock Down 0.7 %

NYSE ROL opened at $43.01 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $20.84 billion, a PE ratio of 48.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 0.63. Rollins has a one year low of $32.19 and a one year high of $47.45. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $44.53 and its 200 day simple moving average is $41.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.71 and a quick ratio of 0.65.

Rollins (NYSE:ROL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 14th. The business services provider reported $0.21 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.21. The business had revenue of $754.10 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $753.40 million. Rollins had a return on equity of 35.97% and a net margin of 14.15%. Rollins’s revenue for the quarter was up 14.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.17 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Rollins will post 0.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Rollins Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 11th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 21st were given a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.40%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 20th. Rollins’s dividend payout ratio is currently 68.18%.

Insider Activity at Rollins

In related news, CFO Kenneth D. Krause sold 5,000 shares of Rollins stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.18, for a total value of $230,900.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 99,078 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,575,422.04. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, CFO Kenneth D. Krause sold 5,000 shares of Rollins stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.18, for a total value of $230,900.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 99,078 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,575,422.04. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Traci Hornfeck sold 2,677 shares of Rollins stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.48, for a total value of $116,395.96. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 14,376 shares in the company, valued at approximately $625,068.48. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 22,824 shares of company stock valued at $994,558. 4.69% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Rollins

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Lindbrook Capital LLC grew its holdings in Rollins by 72.4% during the fourth quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 619 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 260 shares during the period. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC bought a new position in Rollins during the second quarter worth about $29,000. KB Financial Partners LLC bought a new position in Rollins during the first quarter worth about $32,000. Spire Wealth Management grew its holdings in Rollins by 139.7% during the fourth quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 755 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 440 shares during the period. Finally, Principal Securities Inc. bought a new position in Rollins during the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 51.79% of the company’s stock.

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.