Rollins (NYSE:ROL) Cut to “Hold” at StockNews.com

Rollins (NYSE:ROL) was downgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday.

Several other research analysts have also issued reports on ROL. Barclays initiated coverage on Rollins in a research report on Monday, November 4th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $50.00 target price for the company. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Rollins from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $52.00 price objective on shares of Rollins in a report on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Rollins from $56.00 to $58.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, December 16th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group began coverage on shares of Rollins in a report on Tuesday. They issued a “hold” rating and a $48.00 target price on the stock. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $50.83.

Rollins Price Performance

NYSE:ROL traded up $0.63 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $46.38. 2,701,390 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,659,678. The business has a 50 day moving average of $48.58 and a 200 day moving average of $49.09. Rollins has a 1-year low of $40.41 and a 1-year high of $52.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.72. The company has a market capitalization of $22.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.31 and a beta of 0.75.

Rollins (NYSE:ROL) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The business services provider reported $0.29 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 firm had revenue of $916.27 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $911.15 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.28 earnings per share. Rollins’s quarterly revenue was up 9.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that Rollins will post 0.99 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, major shareholder Timothy Curtis Rollins sold 14,750 shares of the firm’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 in the company, valued at $6,195,794.32. This trade represents a 10.61 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 4.69% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Rollins

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division purchased a new stake in shares of Rollins in the fourth quarter worth about $848,000. Dudley & Shanley Inc. boosted its position in shares of Rollins by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. Dudley & Shanley Inc. now owns 455,750 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $21,124,000 after acquiring an additional 11,200 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in shares of Rollins by 16.7% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 8,007 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $371,000 after acquiring an additional 1,148 shares during the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its position in Rollins by 57.8% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 890 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 326 shares during the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in Rollins by 22.6% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 2,280,005 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $115,323,000 after purchasing an additional 420,399 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 51.79% of the company’s stock.

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.