Insider Selling: J.Jill (NYSE:JILL) EVP Sells $297,267.16 in Stock

Key Points

• J.Jill EVP Mark Webb sold 13,756 shares for approximately $297,267, reducing his position by 8.57% to 146,793 shares.
• J.Jill shares rose 5.5% to $24.02, near their 52-week high, after the company reported quarterly EPS of $1.24—well above the $0.57 analyst consensus—and revenue of $154.83 million.
• Analysts raised price targets, with a consensus rating of Hold and an average target of $23.75; the company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.09 per share.

J.Jill, Inc. (NYSE:JILL - Get Free Report) EVP Mark Webb sold 13,756 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.61, for a total value of $297,267.16. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 146,793 shares in the company, valued at $3,172,196.73. This trade represents a 8.57% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

J.Jill Trading Up 5.5%

J.Jill stock traded up $1.25 during trading on Friday, hitting $24.02. The company's stock had a trading volume of 509,288 shares, compared to its average volume of 83,251. The stock has a market capitalization of $359.09 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.42 and a beta of 0.87. The stock's fifty day moving average is $18.36 and its 200 day moving average is $15.51. J.Jill, Inc. has a 1-year low of $10.40 and a 1-year high of $24.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 1.13.

J.Jill (NYSE:JILL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, September 9th. The specialty retailer reported $1.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.57 by $0.67. J.Jill had a return on equity of 29.35% and a net margin of 4.62%.The firm had revenue of $154.83 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $151.26 million. As a group, equities research analysts predict that J.Jill, Inc. will post 2.04 EPS for the current year.

J.Jill Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 23rd will be paid a $0.09 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 23rd. This represents a $0.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. J.Jill's dividend payout ratio is 20.11%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently weighed in on JILL shares. Zacks Research upgraded J.Jill from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, June 5th. Weiss Ratings upgraded J.Jill from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $25.00 price objective (up from $16.00) on shares of J.Jill in a research note on Wednesday. BTIG Research lifted their price objective on J.Jill from $18.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group increased their target price on J.Jill from $18.00 to $23.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Thursday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, J.Jill currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $23.75.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On J.Jill

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd lifted its position in shares of J.Jill by 40.0% during the first quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd now owns 11,210 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $219,000 after purchasing an additional 3,205 shares during the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers raised its stake in J.Jill by 11.7% during the first quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 7,908 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $154,000 after buying an additional 829 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in J.Jill by 11.9% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 175,286 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $2,567,000 after buying an additional 18,576 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its holdings in J.Jill by 39.7% during the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 19,010 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $278,000 after buying an additional 5,406 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in J.Jill by 3.7% during the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 23,682 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $347,000 after buying an additional 840 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 40.71% of the company's stock.

About J.Jill

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.