Carter’s (NYSE:CRI) Upgraded by Wall Street Zen to “Hold” Rating

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Carter’s (NYSE:CRI) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note published on Sunday morning.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on Carter’s in a report on Thursday, December 11th. They issued a “sell” rating and a $26.00 target price for the company. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Carter’s from $22.00 to $25.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 28th. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Carter’s from $26.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 28th. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Carter’s from $23.00 to $26.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 28th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Carter’s in a report on Tuesday, October 14th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Strong Sell” and an average target price of $28.80.

Carter’s Price Performance

CRI stock opened at $35.64 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 2.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. The firm has a market cap of $1.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.43 and a beta of 1.07. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $32.03 and its 200 day simple moving average is $30.21. Carter’s has a 12-month low of $23.38 and a 12-month high of $55.71.

Carter’s (NYSE:CRI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, October 27th. The textile maker reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.78 by ($0.04). The business had revenue of $757.84 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $760.11 million. Carter’s had a return on equity of 16.71% and a net margin of 3.15%.The business’s revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.64 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Carter’s will post 5.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Carter’s Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 24th were issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 24th. Carter’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 40.49%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Carter’s

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CRI. Murphy Middleton Hinkle & Parker Inc. bought a new stake in Carter’s during the 4th quarter worth approximately $440,000. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its position in shares of Carter’s by 50.3% during the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 30,412 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $986,000 after buying an additional 10,172 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in Carter’s by 12.0% during the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 10,551 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $370,000 after buying an additional 1,129 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its holdings in Carter’s by 555.9% during the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 1,115 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 945 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Morningstar Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Carter’s in the 3rd quarter valued at $845,000.

Carter’s Company Profile

Carter’s, Inc (NYSE: CRI) is a leading designer and marketer of infant and young children’s apparel in North America. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the company’s core business focuses on creating clothing and accessories for babies and children, including bodysuits, sleepwear, layette, outerwear and accessories that blend comfort, safety and style. Carter’s flagship brand is complemented by its OshKosh B’gosh line, which offers heritage-inspired designs and durable fabrics for toddlers and young kids.

The company distributes its products through a diversified platform that includes wholesale partnerships with major department stores and mass merchandisers, direct‐to‐consumer e-commerce sites, and an extensive network of company-operated retail stores.