Kohl’s (NYSE:KSS) Trading Up 7.4% – Still a Buy?

Kohl’s Corporation (NYSE:KSS)’s stock price shot up 7.4% on Thursday . The company traded as high as $12.93 and last traded at $12.9180. 3,624,955 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 19% from the average session volume of 4,498,570 shares. The stock had previously closed at $12.03.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently issued reports on KSS. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Kohl’s from $23.00 to $20.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. Bank of America lowered their price objective on shares of Kohl’s from $18.00 to $15.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and issued a $17.00 target price on shares of Kohl’s in a research note on Tuesday. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on shares of Kohl’s from $22.00 to $15.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Kohl’s from $7.00 to $8.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and six have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $14.83.

Kohl’s Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a current ratio of 1.46. The company has a market cap of $1.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.45 and a beta of 1.42. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $17.35 and its 200 day moving average price is $18.02.

Kohl’s (NYSE:KSS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 10th. The company reported $1.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.86 by $0.21. Kohl’s had a net margin of 1.75% and a return on equity of 4.72%. The firm had revenue of $5.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.08 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.95 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. Kohl’s has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.000-1.600 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Kohl’s Corporation will post 1.3 EPS for the current year.

Kohl’s Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 18th will be given a $0.125 dividend. This represents a $0.50 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.9%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 18th. Kohl’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 21.19%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kohl’s

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Baird Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in Kohl’s in the first quarter valued at about $96,000. Caxton Associates LLP acquired a new position in shares of Kohl’s during the 1st quarter worth about $166,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its stake in shares of Kohl’s by 14.2% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 489,708 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,006,000 after acquiring an additional 60,769 shares during the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Kohl’s in the 2nd quarter valued at about $120,000. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can raised its position in shares of Kohl’s by 14.3% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 25,110 shares of the company’s stock valued at $213,000 after acquiring an additional 3,136 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 98.04% of the company’s stock.

About Kohl’s

Kohl’s Corporation, founded in 1962 by Maxwell Kohl and headquartered in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, is a leading American department store retailer. The company operates approximately 1,100 stores across 49 states, offering a combination of value-oriented pricing, private-label brands and national labels. Since its initial public offering in 1992, Kohl’s has focused on broadening its product assortment and enhancing the in-store and online shopping experience.

The retailer’s merchandise portfolio spans apparel, footwear, accessories, and beauty products for women, men and children, as well as home goods, kitchenware and seasonal décor.