Gabelli Funds LLC Lowers Position in Rollins, Inc. (NYSE:ROL)

Gabelli Funds LLC trimmed its position in shares of Rollins, Inc. (NYSE:ROL) by 1.8% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,358,100 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 25,500 shares during the quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC owned 0.28% of Rollins worth $66,262,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of ROL. Quest Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Rollins during the second quarter valued at about $33,000. Ridgewood Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Rollins during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Principal Securities Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Rollins in the 4th quarter worth approximately $36,000. Quent Capital LLC grew its holdings in shares of Rollins by 43.9% in the second quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 774 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 236 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Rollins by 10,233.3% in the second quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 930 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 921 shares in the last quarter. 51.79% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Rollins Price Performance

NYSE:ROL opened at $50.15 on Friday. Rollins, Inc. has a 52-week low of $32.19 and a 52-week high of $51.96. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $49.24 and a 200 day moving average of $47.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 0.78. The firm has a market capitalization of $24.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 56.35, a P/E/G ratio of 3.99 and a beta of 0.70.

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

Rollins Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 12th were paid a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 12th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.20%. Rollins’s dividend payout ratio is presently 67.42%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Elizabeth B. Chandler sold 4,685 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.74, for a total transaction of $237,716.90. Following the sale, the insider now 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 is accessible through this link. In other news, insider Elizabeth B. Chandler sold 4,685 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.74, for a total transaction of $237,716.90. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 89,338 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,533,010.12. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Elizabeth B. Chandler sold 4,686 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.82, for a total value of $224,084.52. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 95,023 shares in the company, valued at $4,543,999.86. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate 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.