Carter’s, Inc. (NYSE:CRI) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Carter’s, Inc. (NYSE:CRI) have been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the ten research firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, three have issued a hold recommendation, four have given a buy recommendation and two have given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $40.8750.

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on CRI shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of Carter’s from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and raised their target price for the company from $30.00 to $42.00 in a research note on Wednesday, June 17th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Carter’s in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Wall Street Zen upgraded Carter’s from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, September 12th. BMO Capital Markets began coverage on shares of Carter’s in a research report on Tuesday, September 8th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $40.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Capital One Financial set a $40.00 price objective on shares of Carter’s in a research report on Tuesday, September 8th.

Carter’s Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE CRI opened at $29.78 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 2.47 and a quick ratio of 1.50. Carter’s has a 1 year low of $27.15 and a 1 year high of $44.44. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $36.17 and a 200-day moving average price of $36.95. The stock has a market cap of $1.09 billion, a PE ratio of 5.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.27 and a beta of 0.84.

Carter’s (NYSE:CRI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 31st. The textile maker reported $0.26 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.06 by $0.20. Carter’s had a return on equity of 12.78% and a net margin of 6.55%.The firm had revenue of $615.49 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $605.68 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.17 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that Carter’s will post 3.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Carter’s Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 25th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be paid a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 1st. Carter’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 18.73%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Carter’s

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in CRI. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in shares of Carter’s during the 2nd quarter worth $28,348,000. Rubric Capital Management LP raised its holdings in shares of Carter’s by 121.5% in the first quarter. Rubric Capital Management LP now owns 1,018,853 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $36,434,000 after acquiring an additional 558,853 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of Carter’s by 36.6% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,765,205 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $63,121,000 after acquiring an additional 472,786 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new stake in Carter’s in the first quarter worth about $4,896,000. Finally, Aristides Capital LLC lifted its stake in Carter’s by 123.3% in the first quarter. Aristides Capital LLC now owns 163,949 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $5,863,000 after acquiring an additional 90,533 shares during the period.

Carter’s Company Profile

Carter’s, Inc (NYSE:CRI) is a specialty retailer and branded marketer of apparel, accessories and related products for babies and young children. The company’s portfolio includes Carter’s, OshKosh B’gosh, Skip Hop and Little Planet, offering items such as bodysuits, sleepwear, playwear, footwear, outerwear, accessories, baby gear and nursery products.

Founded in 1865 by William Carter, the company has developed into a major children’s apparel business. Carter’s products are sold through company-operated retail stores, e-commerce websites and wholesale partners, including department stores, mass merchants, specialty retailers and other distribution channels.

The company primarily serves customers in the United States and Canada, while also reaching international markets through select wholesale, licensing and distribution arrangements.