Lazard Asset Management LLC Raises Stock Position in Dillard's, Inc. (NYSE:DDS)

Lazard Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Dillard's, Inc. (NYSE:DDS - Free Report) by 43.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,903 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 873 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC's holdings in Dillard's were worth $1,253,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of DDS. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its stake in Dillard's by 177.3% during the fourth quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 61 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the period. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Dillard's during the fourth quarter valued at about $36,000. KBC Group NV increased its position in shares of Dillard's by 85.3% during the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 215 shares of the company's stock valued at $93,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. LGT Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Dillard's during the fourth quarter valued at about $108,000. Finally, US Bancorp DE increased its position in shares of Dillard's by 102.3% during the fourth quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 261 shares of the company's stock valued at $113,000 after acquiring an additional 132 shares during the last quarter. 67.15% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Dillard's Stock Down 3.5%

Shares of DDS stock traded down $14.62 during trading on Friday, reaching $408.14. The company's stock had a trading volume of 141,483 shares, compared to its average volume of 142,798. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 2.38 and a quick ratio of 1.02. The company has a market capitalization of $6.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.51 and a beta of 0.96. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $352.45 and its 200 day moving average price is $409.95. Dillard's, Inc. has a 1-year low of $282.24 and a 1-year high of $510.00.

Dillard's (NYSE:DDS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 15th. The company reported $10.39 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $9.10 by $1.29. The firm had revenue of $1.54 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.53 billion. Dillard's had a net margin of 9.55% and a return on equity of 32.13%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $11.10 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Dillard's, Inc. will post 33.25 EPS for the current year.

Dillard's Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 4th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.25%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 30th. Dillard's's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 2.76%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on DDS shares. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated a "market perform" rating and set a $450.00 price target on shares of Dillard's in a research report on Friday, May 16th. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Dillard's from $150.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a "sell" rating in a research report on Friday, May 16th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Dillard's from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday.

Dillard's Company Profile

Dillard's, Inc engages in the retail of fashion apparel, cosmetics, and home furnishings, and other consumer goods. It operates through the Retail Operations and Construction segments. The Retail Operations segment comprises sells cosmetics, ladies' apparel, ladies' accessories and lingerie, juniors' and children's apparel, men's apparel and accessories, shoes, and home and furniture products.