Crown Oak Advisors LLC Makes New Investment in Rollins, Inc. (NYSE:ROL)

Crown Oak Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Rollins, Inc. (NYSE:ROL - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 201,501 shares of the business services provider's stock, valued at approximately $9,547,000. Rollins makes up 5.6% of Crown Oak Advisors LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 5th biggest position.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust boosted its position in shares of Rollins by 5.3% during the second quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 4,927 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $211,000 after purchasing an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its stake in shares of Rollins by 2.7% in the 3rd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 9,871 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $342,000 after acquiring an additional 258 shares in the last quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. lifted its position in Rollins by 3.8% during the 3rd quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 7,150 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $267,000 after acquiring an additional 263 shares during the period. Horizon Investments LLC boosted its stake in Rollins by 7.7% during the second quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 3,889 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $166,000 after acquiring an additional 277 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Apeiron RIA LLC grew its holdings in Rollins by 3.7% in the third quarter. Apeiron RIA LLC now owns 9,210 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $344,000 after purchasing an additional 332 shares during the period. 51.79% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently commented on ROL shares. StockNews.com cut Rollins from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 10th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $52.00 price target on shares of Rollins in a report on Thursday, February 15th. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of Rollins in a research note on Thursday, December 21st. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $42.00 price target on the stock. UBS Group reduced their price objective on shares of Rollins from $50.00 to $49.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 16th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Rollins in a research note on Tuesday, January 2nd. They issued a "buy" rating and a $49.00 target price on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $46.83.

Rollins Stock Performance

NYSE:ROL traded down $0.29 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $44.35. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,820,598 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,646,643. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $44.57 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $41.66. The company has a current ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The stock has a market cap of $21.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 50.40, a PEG ratio of 3.52 and a beta of 0.63. Rollins, Inc. has a 12-month low of $32.19 and a 12-month high of $47.45.

Rollins (NYSE:ROL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 14th. The business services provider reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.21. Rollins had a net margin of 14.15% and a return on equity of 35.97%. The firm had revenue of $754.10 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $753.40 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.17 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 14.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that Rollins, Inc. will post 0.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Rollins Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 11th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 21st were issued a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.35%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 20th. Rollins's payout ratio is currently 68.18%.

Insider Activity at Rollins

In other news, insider Elizabeth B. Chandler sold 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.05, for a total transaction of $410,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 99,709 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,093,054.45. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, CFO Kenneth D. Krause sold 5,000 shares of Rollins stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.18, for a total transaction of $230,900.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 99,078 shares in the company, valued at $4,575,422.04. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Elizabeth B. Chandler sold 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.05, for a total value of $410,500.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 99,709 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,093,054.45. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 22,824 shares of company stock worth $994,558. 4.69% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Rollins Profile

Rollins, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides pest and wildlife control services to residential and commercial customers in the United States and internationally. The company offers pest control services to residential properties protecting from common pests, including rodents, insects, and wildlife.