Traders Buy High Volume of Kohl’s Call Options (NYSE:KSS)

Kohl’s Corporation (NYSE:KSS) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Tuesday. Stock traders purchased 22,305 call options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 48% compared to the average volume of 15,026 call options.

Kohl’s Stock Performance

Shares of KSS stock opened at $12.91 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a current ratio of 1.46. Kohl’s has a one year low of $6.04 and a one year high of $25.22. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $16.11 and its 200-day simple moving average is $17.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.47 and a beta of 1.42.

Kohl’s (NYSE:KSS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The company reported $1.07 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.86 by $0.21. Kohl’s had a return on equity of 4.72% and a net margin of 1.75%.The business had revenue of $5.17 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.08 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.95 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Kohl’s has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.000-1.600 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Kohl’s will post 1.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kohl’s Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 18th will be issued a $0.125 dividend. This represents a $0.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.9%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 18th. Kohl’s’s payout ratio is 21.19%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on KSS shares. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Kohl’s from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 14th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their target price on Kohl’s from $22.00 to $15.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Bank of America cut their price target on Kohl’s from $18.00 to $15.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Zacks Research lowered Kohl’s from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, BTIG Research restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Kohl’s in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and six have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $14.83.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kohl’s

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Baird Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in Kohl’s during the first quarter valued at $96,000. Caxton Associates LLP bought a new position in shares of Kohl’s in the 1st quarter worth about $166,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Kohl’s by 14.2% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 489,708 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,006,000 after buying an additional 60,769 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Kohl’s in the 2nd quarter valued at about $120,000. Finally, Cetera Investment Advisers grew its position in shares of Kohl’s by 21.6% during the 2nd quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 33,708 shares of the company’s stock valued at $286,000 after buying an additional 5,997 shares during the last quarter. 98.04% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.