Rollins (NYSE:ROL) Upgraded to Strong-Buy at Rothschild & Co Redburn

Key Points

• Rothschild & Co Redburn upgraded Rollins from "hold" to Strong-Buy, while Bank of America and Goldman Sachs also maintain buy ratings (both with $67 targets); MarketBeat's consensus is a Moderate Buy with a $65.27 price target.
• Rollins reported Q earnings of $0.24 per share (in line with estimates) and revenue of $906.4 million, which beat expectations and rose 10.2% year-over-year.
• The stock trades around $56 with a market cap near $27 billion and a high valuation (P/E ~51.4), a one‑year range of $52.32–$66.14, and insiders have recently sold shares (insiders own 5.77%).

Rollins (NYSE:ROL - Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at Rothschild & Co Redburn from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other analysts have also commented on the stock. Bank of America began coverage on shares of Rollins in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. They set a "buy" rating and a $67.00 price target for the company. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $51.00 price objective on shares of Rollins and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Rollins from $58.00 to $61.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Rollins in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $67.00 price target on shares of Rollins in a research report on Thursday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $65.27.

Rollins Stock Performance

Shares of ROL opened at $55.99 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $56.10 and a 200-day moving average of $58.65. The company has a market cap of $26.99 billion, a PE ratio of 51.37, a P/E/G ratio of 3.49 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 0.65 and a quick ratio of 0.59. Rollins has a one year low of $52.32 and a one year high of $66.14.

Rollins (NYSE:ROL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 22nd. The business services provider reported $0.24 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.24. Rollins had a return on equity of 38.37% and a net margin of 13.77%.The firm had revenue of $906.42 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $895.17 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.22 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 10.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Rollins will post 1.24 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other Rollins news, CEO Jerry Jr. Gahlhoff sold 1,307 shares of Rollins stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.83, for a total transaction of $82,118.81. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 327,079 shares of the company's stock, valued at $20,550,373.57. This trade represents a 0.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Chairman Gary W. Rollins sold 10,355 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.83, for a total value of $650,604.65. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman owned 5,312,114 shares in the company, valued at $333,760,122.62. The trade was a 0.19% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 32,859 shares of company stock valued at $2,015,254 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 5.77% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Rollins

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. DV Equities LLC bought a new stake in shares of Rollins during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its position in Rollins by 528.4% during the fourth quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 421 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 354 shares during the period. Board of the Pension Protection Fund bought a new position in Rollins during the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Rollins during the third quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Torren Management LLC bought a new stake in Rollins in the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. 51.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Rollins

Rollins, Inc NYSE: ROL is a provider of pest and termite control services operating through a network of subsidiaries and franchises. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the company offers a broad range of pest management solutions for both residential and commercial customers, positioning itself as a specialist in protecting property and public health from pests and vectors.

Its service offerings include general pest control, termite inspection and treatment, bed bug remediation, mosquito and vector control, wildlife exclusion, and related specialty services.

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