Rollins, Inc. (NYSE:ROL) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Rollins, Inc. (NYSE:ROL) has received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the fourteen research firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $64.4167.

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on ROL shares. Zacks Research lowered Rollins from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 13th. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $55.00 target price on Rollins and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, October 31st. Barclays upgraded Rollins from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $60.00 to $72.00 in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $63.00 target price on shares of Rollins and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 28th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $64.00 price objective on shares of Rollins in a report on Thursday, October 30th.

Rollins Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE ROL opened at $58.81 on Thursday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $58.38 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $57.42. The stock has a market cap of $28.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 54.96 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. Rollins has a 12 month low of $45.34 and a 12 month high of $61.84.

Rollins (NYSE:ROL) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The business services provider reported $0.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.32 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $1.03 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.02 billion. Rollins had a net margin of 14.02% and a return on equity of 37.60%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 12.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.29 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that Rollins will post 1.09 earnings per share for the current year.

Rollins Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 10th were given a $0.1825 dividend. This represents a $0.73 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. This is a boost from Rollins’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.17. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 10th. Rollins’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 68.22%.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Thomas D. Tesh sold 2,395 shares of Rollins stock in a transaction on Friday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $57.77, for a total value of $138,359.15. Following the sale, the insider owned 34,732 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,006,467.64. This trade represents a 6.45% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 4.47% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Rollins

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ROL. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Rollins during the second quarter worth about $30,000. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Rollins in the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. increased its stake in Rollins by 58.4% during the 2nd quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 730 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 269 shares in the last quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new position in shares of Rollins during the second quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Finally, TruNorth Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Rollins during the third quarter valued at approximately $45,000. 51.79% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other 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.