Kohl’s Co. (NYSE:KSS) Short Interest Update

Kohl’s Co. (NYSE:KSS) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest during the month of February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 54,430,000 shares, a growth of 15.9% from the February 13th total of 46,960,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 9,000,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 6.0 days. Currently, 50.3% of the company’s stock are sold short.

Kohl’s Trading Up 4.3 %

Shares of Kohl’s stock traded up $0.36 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $8.69. 12,077,943 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,500,744. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 0.12 and a current ratio of 1.05. The company has a market cap of $966.91 million, a PE ratio of 3.91 and a beta of 1.92. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $12.01 and a 200-day moving average of $15.60. Kohl’s has a 12 month low of $7.96 and a 12 month high of $29.60.

Kohl’s (NYSE:KSS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 11th. The company reported $0.95 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.72 by $0.23. The business had revenue of $5.18 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.25 billion. Kohl’s had a return on equity of 6.44% and a net margin of 1.47%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 9.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.67 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Kohl’s will post 1.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kohl’s Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 21st will be paid a $0.125 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 21st. This represents a $0.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.76%. Kohl’s’s dividend payout ratio is currently 51.02%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on KSS shares. UBS Group lowered their target price on Kohl’s from $10.00 to $5.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on Kohl’s from $18.00 to $11.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Kohl’s from $11.00 to $9.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Citigroup lowered their price objective on Kohl’s from $11.00 to $8.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $13.00 price objective on shares of Kohl’s in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and nine have issued a hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $12.10.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Kohl’s news, EVP Feeney Siobhan Mc sold 3,827 shares of Kohl’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $14.05, for a total transaction of $53,769.35. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 133,091 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,869,928.55. The trade was a 2.80 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.86% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kohl’s

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Kohl’s during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. boosted its position in shares of Kohl’s by 183.8% during the third quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 1,416 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 917 shares during the last quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Kohl’s during the fourth quarter valued at $35,000. State of Wyoming purchased a new stake in shares of Kohl’s during the fourth quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, Quest Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Kohl’s during the third quarter valued at $60,000. 98.04% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Kohl’s Company Profile

Kohl’s Corporation operates as an omnichannel retailer in the United States. It offers branded apparel, footwear, accessories, beauty, and home products through its stores and website. The company provides its products primarily under the brand names of Croft & Barrow, Jumping Beans, SO, Sonoma Goods for Life, and Tek Gear, as well as Food Network, LC Lauren Conrad, Nine West, and Simply Vera Vera Wang.