Everence Capital Management Inc. Sells 9,300 Shares of Rollins, Inc. (NYSE:ROL)

Everence Capital Management Inc. lessened its holdings in Rollins, Inc. (NYSE:ROL) by 62.5% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 5,570 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 9,300 shares during the period. Everence Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Rollins were worth $258,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Rollins during the 3rd quarter worth about $1,428,000. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its position in Rollins by 54.7% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 173,943 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $8,725,000 after acquiring an additional 61,475 shares during the last quarter. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP bought a new stake in shares of Rollins during the third quarter worth approximately $5,102,000. Intech Investment Management LLC grew its position in shares of Rollins by 13.7% in the third quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 661,997 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $33,484,000 after purchasing an additional 79,546 shares during the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in shares of Rollins by 22.6% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 2,280,005 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $115,323,000 after purchasing an additional 420,399 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 51.79% of the company’s stock.

Rollins Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ROL opened at $45.69 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $48.62 and a 200-day moving average of $49.11. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. Rollins, Inc. has a 12 month low of $40.41 and a 12 month high of $52.16. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.13 billion, a PE ratio of 47.59 and a beta of 0.75.

Rollins (NYSE:ROL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The business services provider reported $0.29 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.30 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $916.27 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $911.15 million. Rollins had a return on equity of 38.67% and a net margin of 14.18%. Rollins’s quarterly revenue was up 9.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.28 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Rollins, Inc. will post 0.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Rollins Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 12th were paid a $0.165 dividend. This is an increase from Rollins’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. This represents a $0.66 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.44%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 12th. Rollins’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 68.75%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ROL has been the subject of several recent research reports. Canaccord Genuity Group initiated coverage on Rollins in a research note on Tuesday. They issued a “hold” rating and a $48.00 price target for the company. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Rollins from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Rollins from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, December 27th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $52.00 target price on shares of Rollins in a research report on Monday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Rollins from $56.00 to $58.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, December 16th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $50.83.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, major shareholder Timothy Curtis Rollins sold 14,750 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.88, for a total transaction of $735,730.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 124,214 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,195,794.32. This trade represents a 10.61 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 4.69% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.