Elizabeth B. Chandler Sells 4,685 Shares of Rollins, Inc. (NYSE:ROL) Stock

Rollins, Inc. (NYSE:ROL) insider Elizabeth B. Chandler sold 4,685 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.74, for a total value of $237,716.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 89,338 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,533,010.12. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Rollins Stock Performance

Shares of Rollins stock opened at $50.31 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $24.37 billion, a PE ratio of 56.53, a PEG ratio of 3.94 and a beta of 0.70. Rollins, Inc. has a 12 month low of $32.19 and a 12 month high of $51.28. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $49.06 and its 200 day simple moving average is $46.87.

Rollins (NYSE:ROL) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The business services provider reported $0.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.27. The firm had revenue of $891.90 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $895.02 million. Rollins had a return on equity of 40.10% and a net margin of 14.23%. The company’s revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.23 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Rollins, Inc. will post 1 EPS for the current year.

Rollins Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.19%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 12th. Rollins’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 67.42%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on Rollins in a research note on Monday, August 12th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $54.00 price target on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $52.00 price objective on shares of Rollins in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, StockNews.com raised Rollins from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $47.83.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Rollins

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ROL. Norges Bank bought a new position in Rollins during the 4th quarter worth about $256,862,000. APG Asset Management US Inc. bought a new position in shares of Rollins in the 4th quarter valued at about $77,075,000. TD Asset Management Inc grew its holdings in shares of Rollins by 217.3% in the 4th quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 2,468,600 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $107,804,000 after acquiring an additional 1,690,668 shares in the last quarter. Montrusco Bolton Investments Inc. bought a new position in shares of Rollins in the 4th quarter valued at about $47,089,000. Finally, Epoch Investment Partners Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Rollins by 102.8% in the 4th quarter. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. now owns 1,688,661 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $73,744,000 after acquiring an additional 855,882 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 51.79% of the company’s stock.

Rollins Company 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.