Ieq Capital LLC Raises Stock Holdings in Rollins, Inc. (NYSE:ROL)

Ieq Capital LLC boosted its position in Rollins, Inc. (NYSE:ROL) by 154.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 37,593 shares of the business services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 22,805 shares during the quarter. Ieq Capital LLC’s holdings in Rollins were worth $1,742,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of ROL. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its stake in Rollins by 54.7% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 173,943 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $8,725,000 after acquiring an additional 61,475 shares in the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new position in Rollins in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,428,000. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP acquired a new stake in Rollins during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $5,102,000. Intech Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Rollins by 13.7% in the 3rd quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 661,997 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $33,484,000 after acquiring an additional 79,546 shares during the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 420,399 shares during the period. 51.79% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Rollins Stock Performance

Shares of ROL opened at $51.29 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $48.28 and a 200-day simple moving average of $49.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 0.69. Rollins, Inc. has a 1 year low of $41.30 and a 1 year high of $52.83. The stock has a market capitalization of $24.83 billion, a PE ratio of 53.42 and a beta of 0.76.

Rollins (NYSE:ROL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The business services provider reported $0.23 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.23. Rollins had a return on equity of 37.94% and a net margin of 13.76%. On average, analysts predict that Rollins, Inc. will post 1.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Rollins Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 25th will be issued a $0.165 dividend. This represents a $0.66 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.29%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 25th. Rollins’s payout ratio is currently 68.75%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Rollins from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Rollins from $56.00 to $58.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, December 16th. 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 on the stock. Canaccord Genuity Group lifted their price objective on Rollins from $48.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Rollins from $52.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Rollins currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $52.00.

Rollins 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.