Aaron’s (NYSE:AAN) Earns Hold Rating from Analysts at StockNews.com

StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Aaron’s (NYSE:AAN) in a research note published on Friday morning. The brokerage issued a hold rating on the stock.

Separately, Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $10.10 price target (down previously from $11.00) on shares of Aaron’s in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $9.46.

Aaron’s Price Performance

Aaron’s stock opened at $10.09 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $318.06 million, a P/E ratio of -12.77 and a beta of 1.43. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $10.06 and a 200-day moving average of $9.17. Aaron’s has a 52-week low of $6.62 and a 52-week high of $11.90.

Aaron’s (NYSE:AAN) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 5th. The company reported ($0.07) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.03 by ($0.10). The company had revenue of $503.10 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $513.91 million. Aaron’s had a negative return on equity of 2.08% and a negative net margin of 2.06%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.39 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Aaron’s will post -0.01 EPS for the current year.

Aaron’s Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, September 13th were paid a dividend of $0.125 per share. This represents a $0.50 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.96%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, September 13th. Aaron’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -63.29%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its stake in Aaron’s by 3.5% during the 2nd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 31,781 shares of the company’s stock worth $317,000 after buying an additional 1,065 shares during the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers increased its holdings in shares of Aaron’s by 3.0% in the 2nd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 52,539 shares of the company’s stock worth $524,000 after acquiring an additional 1,553 shares during the period. Verity Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in Aaron’s by 15.8% in the 1st quarter. Verity Asset Management Inc. now owns 19,732 shares of the company’s stock valued at $148,000 after purchasing an additional 2,695 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its position in Aaron’s by 2.3% in the 1st quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 166,590 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,249,000 after purchasing an additional 3,772 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in shares of Aaron’s by 314.4% during the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 5,101 shares of the company’s stock valued at $51,000 after buying an additional 3,870 shares during the last quarter. 91.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Aaron’s Company Profile

Headquartered in Atlanta, The Aaron’s Company, Inc (NYSE: AAN) is a leading, technology-enabled, omnichannel provider of lease-purchase solutions. Aaron’s engages in direct-to-consumer sales and lease ownership of furniture, appliances, consumer electronics and accessories through its approximately 1,300 company-operated and franchised stores in 47 states and Canada, as well as its e-commerce platform, Aarons.com.