Rollins (NYSE:ROL) Upgraded to “Buy” at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Rollins (NYSE:ROL) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note released on Wednesday morning.

ROL has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on Rollins in a research report on Thursday, December 21st. They set an equal weight rating and a $42.00 price target for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Rollins in a research note on Tuesday, January 2nd. They set a buy rating and a $49.00 price objective on the stock. UBS Group reiterated a neutral rating and set a $49.00 price objective on shares of Rollins in a research note on Monday, April 15th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and set a $52.00 price objective on shares of Rollins in a research note on Thursday, February 15th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Rollins currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $46.83.

Rollins Trading Up 0.2 %

NYSE:ROL opened at $42.51 on Wednesday. Rollins has a twelve month low of $32.19 and a twelve month high of $47.45. The company has a quick ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $44.49 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $41.86. The company has a market cap of $20.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.35 and a beta of 0.63.

Rollins (NYSE:ROL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 14th. The business services provider reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.21. Rollins had a return on equity of 35.97% and a net margin of 14.15%. The firm had revenue of $754.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $753.40 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.17 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 14.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that Rollins will post 0.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Rollins Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 11th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 21st were paid a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.41%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 20th. Rollins’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 68.18%.

Insider Activity at Rollins

In other Rollins news, insider Traci Hornfeck sold 2,677 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.48, for a total transaction of $116,395.96. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 14,376 shares in the company, valued at approximately $625,068.48. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other Rollins news, insider Traci Hornfeck sold 2,677 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.48, for a total transaction of $116,395.96. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 14,376 shares in the company, valued at approximately $625,068.48. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Thomas D. Tesh sold 5,147 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.00, for a total value of $236,762.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 35,387 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,627,802. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 22,824 shares of company stock worth $994,558. Company insiders own 4.69% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Rollins

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Lindbrook Capital LLC grew its holdings in shares of Rollins by 72.4% during the 4th quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 619 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 260 shares in the last quarter. Spire Wealth Management grew its holdings in shares of Rollins by 139.7% during the 4th quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 755 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 440 shares in the last quarter. Principal Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Rollins during the 4th quarter worth $36,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Rollins during the 2nd quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Harbour Investments Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Rollins by 247.1% during the 4th quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 833 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 593 shares in the last quarter. 51.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.