Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) Rating Increased to Strong-Buy at Stephens

Stephens upgraded shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) to a strong-buy rating in a research note released on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

ASO has been the subject of several other reports. Barclays increased their target price on Academy Sports and Outdoors from $49.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Truist Financial set a $54.00 target price on Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research note on Monday, April 20th. B. Riley Financial reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $65.00 target price on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Academy Sports and Outdoors from $52.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Academy Sports and Outdoors currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $59.87.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Stock Up 2.2%

NASDAQ ASO opened at $51.07 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $3.29 billion, a PE ratio of 9.19, a P/E/G ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.06. Academy Sports and Outdoors has a fifty-two week low of $39.87 and a fifty-two week high of $62.44. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $55.67 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $53.90. 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 results on Tuesday, March 17th. The company reported $1.97 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.05 by ($0.08). The company had revenue of $1.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.76 billion. Academy Sports and Outdoors had a return on equity of 17.88% and a net margin of 6.22%.The firm’s revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.96 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Academy Sports and Outdoors will post 5.95 EPS for the current fiscal 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. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 20th. This is a positive change from Academy Sports and Outdoors’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. Academy Sports and Outdoors’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 10.79%.

Insider Transactions at Academy Sports and Outdoors

In other Academy Sports and Outdoors news, Director Jeffrey C. Tweedy sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.00, for a total value of $240,000.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 7,835 shares in the company, valued at approximately $470,100. This trade represents a 33.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 3.62% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Academy Sports and Outdoors

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Sei Investments Co. lifted its stake in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 13.2% in the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 335,931 shares of the company’s stock valued at $18,963,000 after buying an additional 39,132 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its stake in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 10.7% in the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 103,896 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,865,000 after buying an additional 10,008 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 1.8% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 4,029,262 shares of the company’s stock valued at $227,439,000 after buying an additional 71,888 shares during the last quarter. Heartland Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 1.3% in the first quarter. Heartland Advisors Inc. now owns 329,350 shares of the company’s stock valued at $18,592,000 after buying an additional 4,103 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Aviance Capital Partners LLC lifted its stake in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 13.1% in the first quarter. Aviance Capital Partners LLC now owns 109,161 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,162,000 after buying an additional 12,686 shares during the last quarter.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Company Profile

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.