Morgan Stanley Issues Positive Forecast for Rollins (NYSE:ROL) Stock Price

Rollins (NYSE:ROL) had its price target hoisted by Morgan Stanley from $46.00 to $48.00 in a research note published on Thursday,Benzinga reports. They currently have an equal weight rating on the business services provider’s stock.

Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. StockNews.com downgraded Rollins from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 24th. Barclays started coverage on Rollins in a report on Monday, November 4th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $50.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Rollins from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Rollins presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $50.67.

Rollins Stock Performance

NYSE ROL opened at $48.77 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.80 and a beta of 0.72. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $49.35 and a 200 day moving average of $49.19. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. Rollins has a twelve month low of $40.41 and a twelve month high of $52.16.

Rollins (NYSE:ROL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 23rd. The business services provider reported $0.29 earnings per share (EPS) 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 company had revenue of $916.27 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $911.15 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.28 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.0% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Rollins will post 0.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Rollins Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 12th were issued a $0.165 dividend. This represents a $0.66 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.35%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 12th. This is an increase from Rollins’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. Rollins’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 68.75%.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Elizabeth B. Chandler sold 4,685 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.49, for a total transaction of $236,545.65. Following the sale, the insider now owns 84,653 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,274,129.97. This represents a 5.24 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, major shareholder Timothy Curtis Rollins sold 14,750 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 directly owns 124,214 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,195,794.32. The trade was a 10.61 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 4.69% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Rollins

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of ROL. Montrusco Bolton Investments Inc. lifted its holdings in Rollins by 14.0% during the 3rd quarter. Montrusco Bolton Investments Inc. now owns 9,397,497 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $465,503,000 after buying an additional 1,154,722 shares during the last quarter. Fiera Capital Corp purchased a new stake in Rollins in the 3rd quarter valued at $43,225,000. Point72 Asset Management L.P. acquired a new position in Rollins in the third quarter valued at $28,980,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its holdings in shares of Rollins by 185.0% during the second quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 384,935 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $18,781,000 after buying an additional 249,860 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bridges Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in Rollins by 440.9% during the 2nd quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. now owns 261,049 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $12,737,000 after acquiring an additional 212,789 shares during the period. 51.79% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.