Guess? (NYSE:GES) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume – Here’s What Happened

Shares of Guess?, Inc. (NYSE:GES) saw unusually-strong trading volume on Thursday . Approximately 852,507 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 75% from the previous session’s volume of 486,270 shares.The stock last traded at $16.8050 and had previously closed at $16.86.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on GES shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Guess? in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $16.75 price target on shares of Guess? in a research report on Wednesday, November 26th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Guess? from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $16.75.

Guess? Trading Down 0.4%

The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $16.87 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $16.04. The stock has a market capitalization of $875.86 million, a P/E ratio of 15.13 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14.

Guess? (NYSE:GES) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, November 25th. The company reported $0.35 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.25 by $0.10. Guess? had a return on equity of 16.11% and a net margin of 2.56%.The company had revenue of $791.43 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $767.93 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.34 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts forecast that Guess?, Inc. will post 1.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Guess? Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 26th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 10th were issued a dividend of $0.225 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 10th. This represents a $0.90 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.4%. Guess?’s payout ratio is currently 81.08%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Guess?

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. acquired a new position in Guess? during the second quarter worth $11,727,000. Senvest Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Guess? in the 2nd quarter worth about $8,251,000. ABC Arbitrage SA bought a new position in Guess? in the 3rd quarter valued at about $6,079,000. Alpine Associates Management Inc. bought a new position in Guess? in the 3rd quarter valued at about $5,772,000. Finally, Alberta Investment Management Corp acquired a new position in Guess? during the 3rd quarter valued at about $5,479,000. 61.74% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Guess?

Guess?, Inc is a global fashion brand known for its lifestyle apparel, footwear and accessories. The company designs, markets and distributes a portfolio of apparel products under various brands, including its flagship Guess line and the premium Marciano label. Through its vertically integrated business model, Guess? oversees product development, manufacturing arrangements, marketing and distribution across wholesale and retail channels.

Guess?’s product offerings span denim, ready-to-wear, handbags, watches, jewelry and footwear for men, women and children.