Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) Director Sells $240,000.00 in Stock

Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO) Director Jeffrey Tweedy sold 4,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.00, for a total transaction of $240,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 7,835 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $470,100. This represents a 33.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ ASO opened at $59.50 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $57.36 and its 200 day moving average price is $53.50. The firm has a market cap of $3.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.65, a P/E/G ratio of 0.91 and a beta of 1.21. Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. has a 52 week low of $35.95 and a 52 week high of $62.44. The company has a quick ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 1.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22.

Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 17th. The company reported $1.97 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.05 by ($0.08). Academy Sports and Outdoors had a return on equity of 17.88% and a net margin of 6.22%.The company had revenue of $1.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.76 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.96 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 20th were paid a $0.15 dividend. This is a boost from Academy Sports and Outdoors’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 20th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Academy Sports and Outdoors’s dividend payout ratio is 10.79%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have weighed in on ASO. Guggenheim lifted their target price on Academy Sports and Outdoors from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $61.00 price objective on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Academy Sports and Outdoors from $56.00 to $60.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 18th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $60.00 to $56.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 18th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $58.43.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Academy Sports and Outdoors

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Citigroup Inc. raised its position in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 105.8% during the third quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 162,571 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,132,000 after buying an additional 83,572 shares during the period. Junto Capital Management LP acquired a new position in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors during the 3rd quarter valued at about $36,567,000. Heartland Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 71.9% during the 3rd quarter. Heartland Advisors Inc. now owns 273,617 shares of the company’s stock valued at $13,686,000 after acquiring an additional 114,427 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its holdings in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 9,627.2% during the 3rd quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 58,363 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,919,000 after acquiring an additional 57,763 shares during the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. grew its holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 6.1% in the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 2,176,853 shares of the company’s stock valued at $108,886,000 after buying an additional 125,398 shares during the last quarter.

About Academy Sports and Outdoors

Academy Sports and Outdoors is a leading specialty retailer of sporting goods and outdoor gear, operating more than 260 stores across the United States. Headquartered in Katy, Texas, the company offers a broad assortment of merchandise spanning athletic footwear and apparel, team sports equipment, camping and outdoor recreation products, hunting and fishing supplies, and fitness accessories. In addition to its brick-and-mortar footprint, Academy serves customers through its e-commerce platform, offering online ordering, in-store pickup, and home delivery options.

The company’s product portfolio includes seasonal and year-round categories designed to meet the needs of both casual enthusiasts and serious athletes.