Paradigm Capital Management Inc. NY Acquires 285,715 Shares of J.Jill, Inc. (NYSE:JILL)

Paradigm Capital Management Inc. NY increased its holdings in J.Jill, Inc. (NYSE:JILL - Free Report) by 45.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 921,300 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 285,715 shares during the quarter. J.Jill makes up 1.2% of Paradigm Capital Management Inc. NY's investment portfolio, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding. Paradigm Capital Management Inc. NY owned approximately 6.01% of J.Jill worth $25,446,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Barclays PLC lifted its holdings in J.Jill by 76.0% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 14,363 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $355,000 after buying an additional 6,202 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers lifted its stake in shares of J.Jill by 15.5% in the fourth quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 7,079 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $196,000 after acquiring an additional 950 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its holdings in J.Jill by 186.1% in the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 106,856 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $2,951,000 after acquiring an additional 69,511 shares during the last quarter. Anchor Capital Advisors LLC increased its position in J.Jill by 6.1% during the 4th quarter. Anchor Capital Advisors LLC now owns 54,119 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $1,495,000 after purchasing an additional 3,090 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in J.Jill by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 78,440 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $2,167,000 after purchasing an additional 1,296 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 40.71% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed a "market perform" rating and issued a $31.00 price objective on shares of J.Jill in a research note on Wednesday, March 19th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $38.20.

J.Jill Stock Down 3.6%

Shares of NYSE:JILL opened at $17.19 on Tuesday. J.Jill, Inc. has a 1 year low of $14.37 and a 1 year high of $40.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.97 and a quick ratio of 0.49. The business's 50-day moving average is $16.86 and its 200-day moving average is $22.78. The company has a market capitalization of $262.71 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.07 and a beta of 0.60.

J.Jill (NYSE:JILL - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, March 19th. The specialty retailer reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.22 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $94.75 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $142.33 million. J.Jill had a return on equity of 71.30% and a net margin of 6.80%. Equities research analysts predict that J.Jill, Inc. will post 3.36 earnings per share for the current year.

J.Jill Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 16th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 2nd were issued a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.86%. This is a boost from J.Jill's previous quarterly dividend of $0.07. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, April 2nd. J.Jill's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 12.12%.

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.

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