Kohl’s (NYSE:KSS) Cut to “Hold” at Zacks Research

Zacks Research lowered shares of Kohl’s (NYSE:KSS) from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report published on Wednesday morning,Zacks.com reports.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on shares of Kohl’s from $11.00 to $15.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 26th. Robert W. Baird set a $24.00 price target on shares of Kohl’s in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Kohl’s in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Kohl’s from $4.50 to $7.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 26th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on Kohl’s in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $22.00 target price on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and six have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $15.27.

Kohl’s Trading Down 6.2%

KSS stock opened at $16.37 on Wednesday. Kohl’s has a 1-year low of $6.04 and a 1-year high of $25.22. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 0.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99. The business’s 50 day moving average is $19.15 and its 200-day moving average is $17.98. The firm has a market cap of $1.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.52 and a beta of 1.44.

Kohl’s (NYSE:KSS) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, November 25th. The company reported $0.10 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.19) by $0.29. Kohl’s had a return on equity of 4.30% and a net margin of 1.23%.The business had revenue of $3.58 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.37 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.20 EPS. Kohl’s’s revenue was down 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that Kohl’s will post 1.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kohl’s Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 18th will be given a dividend of $0.125 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 18th. This represents a $0.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.1%. Kohl’s’s payout ratio is presently 29.07%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Jill Timm sold 25,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $22.75, for a total value of $568,750.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 335,561 shares in the company, valued at $7,634,012.75. This trade represents a 6.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 1.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Kohl’s during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. IFP Advisors Inc increased its stake in Kohl’s by 3,777.6% in the third quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,900 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 1,851 shares in the last quarter. Caldwell Trust Co acquired a new stake in Kohl’s in the third quarter worth $33,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Kohl’s by 233.9% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,666 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 1,167 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC boosted its position in shares of Kohl’s by 400.0% during the third quarter. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC now owns 2,500 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 2,000 shares in the last quarter. 98.04% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Kohl’s

Kohl’s Corporation, founded in 1962 by Maxwell Kohl and headquartered in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, is a leading American department store retailer. The company operates approximately 1,100 stores across 49 states, offering a combination of value-oriented pricing, private-label brands and national labels. Since its initial public offering in 1992, Kohl’s has focused on broadening its product assortment and enhancing the in-store and online shopping experience.

The retailer’s merchandise portfolio spans apparel, footwear, accessories, and beauty products for women, men and children, as well as home goods, kitchenware and seasonal décor.