Short Interest in J.Jill, Inc. (NYSE:JILL) Rises By 47.5%

Key Points

• Short interest in J.Jill surged 47.5% to 671,438 shares as of April 15, representing 4.7% of shares short and a days-to-cover ratio of about 4.0 days.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed with a MarketBeat consensus of "Hold" and a $17.25 target (two Buy, two Hold, two Sell), alongside recent downgrades from Wall Street Zen and Zacks.
• J.Jill slightly beat quarterly EPS expectations (‑$0.02 vs. ‑$0.12) and raised its quarterly dividend to $0.09 (annualized $0.36, ~2.8% yield).

J.Jill, Inc. (NYSE:JILL - Get Free Report) saw a large growth in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totaling 671,438 shares, a growth of 47.5% from the March 31st total of 455,244 shares. Currently, 4.7% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 166,981 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.0 days.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have weighed in on JILL shares. Wall Street Zen cut J.Jill from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, April 4th. Zacks Research cut J.Jill from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. BTIG Research cut their price target on J.Jill from $21.00 to $18.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d+)" rating on shares of J.Jill in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group restated a "market perform" rating and set a $16.00 price target on shares of J.Jill in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $17.25.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in JILL. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd raised its position in shares of J.Jill by 40.0% in the 1st quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd now owns 11,210 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $219,000 after acquiring an additional 3,205 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers increased its position in J.Jill by 11.7% during the 1st 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 increased its position in J.Jill by 11.9% during the 2nd 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. increased its position 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 valued at $278,000 after buying an additional 5,406 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP increased its position 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 valued at $347,000 after buying an additional 840 shares in the last quarter. 40.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

J.Jill Price Performance

JILL opened at $12.84 on Tuesday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $14.59 and a 200 day moving average of $15.06. J.Jill has a 52-week low of $10.40 and a 52-week high of $18.80. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. The stock has a market cap of $191.37 million, a P/E ratio of 7.05 and a beta of 0.82.

J.Jill (NYSE:JILL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 31st. The specialty retailer reported ($0.02) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.12) by $0.10. The company had revenue of $138.41 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $135.55 million. J.Jill had a return on equity of 30.77% and a net margin of 4.68%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that J.Jill will post 2 EPS for the current year.

J.Jill Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 28th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 14th will be given a $0.09 dividend. This represents a $0.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 14th. This is a positive change from J.Jill's previous quarterly dividend of $0.08. J.Jill's dividend payout ratio is presently 19.78%.

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.

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