Rollins, Inc. (NYSE:ROL) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Rollins, Inc. (NYSE:ROL) has earned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the six research firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $47.83.

ROL has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on Rollins in a research note on Monday, August 12th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $54.00 price objective on the stock. 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. Finally, StockNews.com raised Rollins from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th.

Rollins Trading Up 0.9 %

ROL stock opened at $50.90 on Tuesday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $49.16 and a 200-day moving average of $47.35. The company has a market cap of $24.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 57.19, a PEG ratio of 3.93 and a beta of 0.70. Rollins has a twelve month low of $32.19 and a twelve month high of $51.28. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41.

Rollins (NYSE:ROL) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The business services provider reported $0.27 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.27. Rollins had a net margin of 14.23% and a return on equity of 40.10%. The firm had revenue of $891.90 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $895.02 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.23 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Rollins will post 1 EPS for the current year.

Rollins Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 12th were issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.18%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 12th. Rollins’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 67.42%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Rollins

In related news, insider Elizabeth B. Chandler sold 4,685 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.74, for a total transaction of $237,716.90. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 89,338 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,533,010.12. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other Rollins news, insider Elizabeth B. Chandler sold 4,686 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.82, for a total transaction of $224,084.52. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 95,023 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,543,999.86. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Elizabeth B. Chandler sold 4,685 shares of Rollins stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.74, for a total transaction of $237,716.90. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 89,338 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,533,010.12. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 4.69% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Rollins

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in ROL. Quest Partners LLC purchased a new position in Rollins during the 2nd quarter worth $33,000. Ridgewood Investments LLC bought a new position in Rollins during the second quarter worth about $34,000. Principal Securities Inc. purchased a new position in Rollins in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Quent Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of Rollins by 43.9% during 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. Finally, Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. increased its position in shares of 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 valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 921 shares during the period. 51.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Rollins

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.