Rollins (NYSE:ROL) Given Outperform Rating at Royal Bank of Canada

Royal Bank of Canada reissued their outperform rating on shares of Rollins (NYSE:ROL) in a research note released on Monday,Benzinga reports. Royal Bank of Canada currently has a $52.00 price target on the business services provider’s stock.

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Rollins from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Barclays began coverage on Rollins in a report on Monday, November 4th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $50.00 target price on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Rollins from $56.00 to $58.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, December 16th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Rollins from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, December 27th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $51.40.

Rollins Trading Down 1.2 %

Shares of ROL stock opened at $45.63 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $48.62 and a 200 day simple moving average of $49.11. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.53 and a beta of 0.75. Rollins has a fifty-two week low of $40.41 and a fifty-two week high of $52.16. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34.

Rollins (NYSE:ROL) last posted 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). Rollins had a net margin of 14.18% and a return on equity of 38.67%. The business had revenue of $916.27 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $911.15 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.28 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Rollins will post 0.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Rollins Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 12th were issued 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 1.45%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, November 12th. Rollins’s payout ratio is currently 68.75%.

Insider Transactions at Rollins

In related news, major shareholder Timothy Curtis Rollins sold 14,750 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 owns 124,214 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,195,794.32. This represents a 10.61 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 4.69% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Rollins

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new position in shares of Rollins during the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Quest Partners LLC acquired a new position in Rollins during the second quarter worth $33,000. True Wealth Design LLC raised its holdings in Rollins by 4,272.2% during the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 787 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 769 shares in the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its position in shares of Rollins by 57.8% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 890 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 326 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new stake in shares of Rollins during the 3rd quarter worth about $52,000. 51.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.