Raymond James & Associates Increases Stake in Rollins, Inc. (NYSE:ROL)

Raymond James & Associates increased its position in shares of Rollins, Inc. (NYSE:ROL - Free Report) by 5.0% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,193,277 shares of the business services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 56,897 shares during the quarter. Raymond James & Associates owned approximately 0.25% of Rollins worth $55,213,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Czech National Bank boosted its holdings in shares of Rollins by 0.5% during the first quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 49,396 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $2,286,000 after purchasing an additional 226 shares during the last quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC boosted its stake in Rollins by 72.4% in the 4th quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 619 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 260 shares during the last quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. grew its holdings in Rollins by 3.8% in the 3rd quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 7,150 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $267,000 after buying an additional 263 shares during the period. Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Rollins by 4.7% in the 4th quarter. Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC now owns 7,806 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $341,000 after buying an additional 348 shares during the period. Finally, Accretive Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Rollins by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Accretive Wealth Partners LLC now owns 16,759 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $732,000 after acquiring an additional 355 shares during the period. 51.79% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Rollins Stock Up 3.1 %

Rollins stock traded up $1.38 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $46.12. 1,947,294 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,000,080. The company's fifty day moving average price is $44.88 and its 200-day moving average price is $42.46. The company has a market cap of $22.33 billion, a PE ratio of 51.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 0.72 and a quick ratio of 0.66. Rollins, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $32.19 and a fifty-two week high of $47.45.

Rollins (NYSE:ROL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The business services provider reported $0.20 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.20. The firm had revenue of $748.35 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $739.12 million. Rollins had a return on equity of 37.73% and a net margin of 13.94%. Rollins's revenue for the quarter was up 13.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.18 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Rollins, Inc. will post 1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Rollins Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 10th. Investors of record on Friday, May 10th will be paid a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.30%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 9th. Rollins's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 67.42%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. UBS Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $49.00 price target on shares of Rollins in a research report on Monday, April 15th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Rollins from $42.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, April 26th. StockNews.com downgraded Rollins from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 25th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $52.00 price objective on shares of Rollins in a report on Thursday, February 15th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $47.00.

Insider Activity at Rollins

In related news, insider Elizabeth B. Chandler sold 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on 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 $4,093,054.45. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, CFO Kenneth D. Krause sold 5,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.18, for a total value of $230,900.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 99,078 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,575,422.04. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Elizabeth B. Chandler sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.05, for a total transaction of $410,500.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 99,709 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,093,054.45. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 27,824 shares of company stock valued at $1,219,558. Insiders own 4.69% of the company's stock.

About Rollins

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.