J.Jill (NYSE:JILL) Price Target Raised to $25.00

Key Points

• BTIG Research raised J.Jill’s price target to $25 from $18 and maintained a “buy” rating, implying 16.8% upside from the prior close.
• J.Jill reported quarterly EPS of $1.24, exceeding the $0.57 consensus estimate, while revenue of $154.83 million also surpassed expectations.
• Despite BTIG’s bullish view, the broader analyst consensus remains “Hold,” with an average price target of $19.25; insiders have sold shares totaling approximately $226,000 over the past three months.

J.Jill (NYSE:JILL - Get Free Report) had its target price lifted by equities research analysts at BTIG Research from $18.00 to $25.00 in a research report issued on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a "buy" rating on the specialty retailer's stock. BTIG Research's price objective would suggest a potential upside of 16.80% from the company's previous close.

A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on the company. William Blair downgraded J.Jill from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of J.Jill from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, June 5th. Weiss Ratings raised J.Jill from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 18th. Telsey Advisory Group increased their target price on J.Jill from $14.00 to $18.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research report on Thursday, September 3rd. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their price target on J.Jill from $14.00 to $18.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 18th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, J.Jill currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $19.25.

J.Jill Stock Performance

JILL stock traded up $1.56 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $21.40. 570,723 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 77,084. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57. J.Jill has a 52-week low of $10.40 and a 52-week high of $23.48. The stock has a market cap of $319.99 million, a P/E ratio of 15.67 and a beta of 0.87. The stock's 50-day moving average is $18.14 and its 200 day moving average is $15.44.

J.Jill (NYSE:JILL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, September 9th. The specialty retailer reported $1.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.57 by $0.67. J.Jill had a net margin of 3.56% and a return on equity of 24.44%. The firm had revenue of $154.83 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $151.26 million. As a group, analysts anticipate that J.Jill will post 2.04 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at J.Jill

In other news, EVP Mark W. Webb sold 3,745 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.30, for a total value of $76,023.50. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 173,048 shares in the company, valued at $3,512,874.40. The trade was a 2.12% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 11,158 shares of company stock valued at $225,984. Company insiders own 4.40% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On J.Jill

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in JILL. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its holdings in shares of J.Jill by 83.1% in the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,483 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 673 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its position in shares of J.Jill by 1.8% during the third quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 40,210 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $690,000 after purchasing an additional 717 shares during the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers boosted its position in J.Jill by 11.7% in the 1st quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 7,908 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $154,000 after buying an additional 829 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its holdings in shares of J.Jill by 3.7% in the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 23,682 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $347,000 after purchasing an additional 840 shares during the period. Finally, Barclays PLC lifted its holdings in shares of J.Jill by 10.8% in the 4th quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 11,417 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $157,000 after buying an additional 1,111 shares during the period. 40.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

J.Jill Company Profile

J.Jill is a women's apparel retailer specializing in modern, versatile clothing and accessories. The company designs and markets a range of products that emphasize comfort and style, including knitwear, woven tops, pants, dresses, outerwear, jewelry, and footwear. Through its in-house design team, J.Jill focuses on creating seasonal collections that appeal to women seeking effortless, mix-and-match wardrobes.

Products are sold through a multi-channel distribution network comprising company-operated boutiques, e-commerce platforms, and catalog sales.

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