Aaron’s (NYSE:AAN) Research Coverage Started at StockNews.com

StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Aaron’s (NYSE:AAN) in a research report report published on Friday. The firm issued a hold rating on the stock.

Separately, Jefferies Financial Group restated a “hold” rating and issued a $10.10 price objective (down previously 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 MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $9.46.

Aaron’s Stock Up 1.0 %

AAN stock opened at $10.09 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $10.06 and its two-hundred day moving average is $9.17. The company has a market capitalization of $318.06 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -12.77 and a beta of 1.43. Aaron’s has a 52 week low of $6.62 and a 52 week high of $11.90. The company has a current ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33.

Aaron’s (NYSE:AAN) last announced its earnings results on Monday, August 5th. The company reported ($0.07) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.03 by ($0.10). The firm had revenue of $503.10 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $513.91 million. Aaron’s had a negative return on equity of 2.08% and a negative net margin of 2.06%. Aaron’s’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.39 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Aaron’s 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. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 13th were given a $0.125 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, September 13th. This represents a $0.50 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.96%. Aaron’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -63.29%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Aaron’s

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Quadrature Capital Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Aaron’s in the fourth quarter worth approximately $216,000. Norden Group LLC purchased a new position in Aaron’s during the 1st quarter worth approximately $178,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. raised its stake in Aaron’s by 130.4% during the 1st quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 32,767 shares of the company’s stock valued at $246,000 after purchasing an additional 18,547 shares during the period. Quent Capital LLC raised its stake in Aaron’s by 90.9% during the 1st quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 42,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $315,000 after purchasing an additional 20,000 shares during the period. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Aaron’s by 8.2% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 152,439 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,143,000 after purchasing an additional 11,517 shares in the last quarter. 91.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.