Aaron’s (NYSE:AAN) Shares Cross Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

The Aaron’s Company, Inc. (NYSE:AAN) shares crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $9.14 and traded as high as $10.10. Aaron’s shares last traded at $10.09, with a volume of 2,775,800 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently commented on AAN. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Aaron’s in a research report on Friday. They set a “hold” rating for the company. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $10.10 price target (down from $11.00) on shares of Aaron’s in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Aaron’s has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $9.46.

Aaron’s Stock Performance

The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $10.06 and a 200-day simple moving average of $9.14. The stock has a market cap of $318.06 million, a PE ratio of -12.77 and a beta of 1.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 0.70.

Aaron’s (NYSE:AAN) last posted its earnings results on Monday, August 5th. The company reported ($0.07) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.03 by ($0.10). The business had revenue of $503.10 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $513.91 million. Aaron’s had a negative return on equity of 2.08% and a negative net margin of 2.06%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.39 EPS. Equities analysts predict that The Aaron’s Company, Inc. will post -0.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Aaron’s Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, September 13th were given a dividend of $0.125 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 13th. This represents a $0.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.96%. Aaron’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -63.29%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Gladius Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in shares of Aaron’s in the second quarter worth about $41,000. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in shares of Aaron’s by 314.4% during the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 5,101 shares of the company’s stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 3,870 shares during the period. Fortitude Family Office LLC raised its stake in shares of Aaron’s by 239.5% during the second quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 8,385 shares of the company’s stock valued at $84,000 after purchasing an additional 5,915 shares during the period. EMC Capital Management lifted its position in shares of Aaron’s by 172.8% during the first quarter. EMC Capital Management now owns 12,211 shares of the company’s stock worth $92,000 after purchasing an additional 7,735 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Aaron’s in the third quarter valued at $109,000. 91.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Aaron’s Company Profile

Headquartered in Atlanta, The Aaron’s Company, Inc (NYSE: AAN) is a leading, technology-enabled, omnichannel provider of lease-purchase solutions. Aaron’s engages in direct-to-consumer sales and lease ownership of furniture, appliances, consumer electronics and accessories through its approximately 1,300 company-operated and franchised stores in 47 states and Canada, as well as its e-commerce platform, Aarons.com.