Escalade (NASDAQ:ESCA) Upgraded at StockNews.com

Escalade (NASDAQ:ESCA) was upgraded by equities researchers at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday.

Escalade Trading Down 5.0 %

Shares of ESCA opened at $12.46 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $172.70 million, a PE ratio of 13.69 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a quick ratio of 1.63, a current ratio of 4.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. Escalade has a 12-month low of $11.42 and a 12-month high of $22.01. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $13.78 and its 200-day simple moving average is $16.85.

Escalade (NASDAQ:ESCA) last issued its earnings results on Friday, March 29th. The company reported $0.21 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of $65.51 million during the quarter. Escalade had a net margin of 4.76% and a return on equity of 7.74%. As a group, research analysts predict that Escalade will post 1.29 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Escalade

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Escalade in the third quarter valued at about $291,000. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Escalade by 30.6% during the 3rd quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 31,543 shares of the company’s stock worth $483,000 after purchasing an additional 7,396 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Escalade during the 4th quarter worth approximately $118,000. Ritholtz Wealth Management lifted its stake in Escalade by 13.8% in the fourth quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management now owns 16,940 shares of the company’s stock valued at $340,000 after buying an additional 2,056 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Escalade by 40.6% in the fourth quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 7,037 shares of the company’s stock valued at $141,000 after buying an additional 2,033 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.22% of the company’s stock.

About Escalade

Escalade, Incorporated, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, distributes, imports, and sells sporting goods in North America, Europe, and internationally. The company provides various sporting goods brands in basketball goals, archery, indoor and outdoor game recreation, and fitness products.