Royce & Associates LP Has $15 Million Position in J.Jill, Inc. (NYSE:JILL)

Key Points

• Royce & Associates LP increased its stake in J.Jill, Inc. by 33.3%, owning approximately 5.03% of the company, valued at $15 million.
• Analysts have provided mixed ratings for J.Jill, with Jefferies Financial Group lowering their target price from $33 to $26, while Telsey Advisory Group set a price objective of $21.
• J.Jill recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.08 per share, resulting in a dividend yield of 1.94% for shareholders.

Royce & Associates LP raised its holdings in J.Jill, Inc. (NYSE:JILL - Free Report) by 33.3% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 768,127 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 192,096 shares during the quarter. Royce & Associates LP owned 5.03% of J.Jill worth $15,002,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of JILL. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of J.Jill by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 78,440 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $2,167,000 after purchasing an additional 1,296 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of J.Jill by 14.7% in the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 12,267 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $339,000 after purchasing an additional 1,575 shares in the last quarter. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of J.Jill in the 4th quarter valued at $281,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of J.Jill by 204.2% in the 4th quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 8,660 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $239,000 after acquiring an additional 5,813 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in shares of J.Jill by 19.9% in the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 178,692 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $4,935,000 after acquiring an additional 29,640 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 40.71% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently commented on JILL shares. BTIG Research set a $30.00 price target on J.Jill and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 11th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price target on J.Jill from $33.00 to $26.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 21st. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reiterated a "market perform" rating and issued a $21.00 price target on shares of J.Jill in a research note on Wednesday, June 11th.

J.Jill Trading Up 1.6%

NYSE:JILL traded up $0.27 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $16.76. 14,288 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 112,168. The stock has a market capitalization of $256.14 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.48 and a beta of 0.47. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. J.Jill, Inc. has a one year low of $13.36 and a one year high of $38.93. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $15.46 and a 200 day simple moving average of $18.92.

J.Jill (NYSE:JILL - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, June 11th. The specialty retailer reported $0.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.88. The business had revenue of $153.62 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $156.90 million. J.Jill had a return on equity of 46.94% and a net margin of 5.72%. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.22 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that J.Jill, Inc. will post 3.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

J.Jill Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 9th. Investors of record on Wednesday, June 25th were given a dividend of $0.08 per share. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.91%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, June 25th. J.Jill's dividend payout ratio is currently 14.29%.

About J.Jill

J.Jill, Inc operates as an omnichannel retailer for women's apparel under the J.Jill brand in the United States. It offers apparel, footwear, and accessories, including scarves and jewelry. The company markets its products through retail stores, website, and catalogs. J.Jill, Inc was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in Quincy, Massachusetts.