Kohl’s Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NYSE:KSS)

Kohl’s Co. (NYSE:KSS) was the target of some unusual options trading on Monday. Stock traders acquired 77,021 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 118% compared to the average volume of 35,354 call options.

Kohl’s Stock Performance

Shares of Kohl’s stock opened at $9.39 on Tuesday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $11.63 and its two-hundred day moving average is $15.28. Kohl’s has a 52 week low of $7.96 and a 52 week high of $29.60. The company has a quick ratio of 0.12, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.23 and a beta of 1.92.

Kohl’s (NYSE:KSS) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, March 11th. The company reported $0.95 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.72 by $0.23. The business had revenue of $5.18 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.25 billion. Kohl’s had a return on equity of 6.44% and a net margin of 1.47%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.67 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Kohl’s will post 1.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kohl’s Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, March 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.125 per share. This represents a $0.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.32%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 21st. Kohl’s’s dividend payout ratio is currently 51.02%.

Insider Activity

In other Kohl’s news, EVP Feeney Siobhan Mc sold 3,827 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $14.05, for a total value of $53,769.35. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 133,091 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,869,928.55. This trade represents a 2.80 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.86% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. grew its position in Kohl’s by 183.8% in the 3rd quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 1,416 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 917 shares during the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Kohl’s in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. State of Wyoming purchased a new stake in shares of Kohl’s in the fourth quarter valued at about $35,000. Bogart Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kohl’s during the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, Quest Partners LLC purchased a new position in Kohl’s during the third quarter worth about $60,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.04% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Robert W. Baird cut their price target on Kohl’s from $18.00 to $11.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 12th. Gordon Haskett downgraded Kohl’s from a “hold” rating to a “reduce” rating and set a $11.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Tuesday, November 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price objective on shares of Kohl’s from $13.00 to $11.25 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. Citigroup lowered their price target on Kohl’s from $11.00 to $8.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 17th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price objective on shares of Kohl’s from $15.00 to $12.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and nine have given a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $12.10.

Kohl’s Company Profile

Kohl’s Corporation operates as an omnichannel retailer in the United States. It offers branded apparel, footwear, accessories, beauty, and home products through its stores and website. The company provides its products primarily under the brand names of Croft & Barrow, Jumping Beans, SO, Sonoma Goods for Life, and Tek Gear, as well as Food Network, LC Lauren Conrad, Nine West, and Simply Vera Vera Wang.