Buckle (NYSE:BKE) Upgraded to Strong-Buy at Wall Street Zen

Buckle (NYSE:BKE) was upgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report released on Friday.

A number of other research firms also recently issued reports on BKE. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Buckle in a research note on Monday. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Buckle in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, Buckle has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $55.00.

Buckle Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE BKE traded down $0.83 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $56.48. 191,143 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 528,377. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $56.20 and a two-hundred day moving average of $51.84. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.12 and a beta of 1.12. Buckle has a one year low of $33.12 and a one year high of $61.69.

Buckle (NYSE:BKE) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, November 21st. The company reported $0.96 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.94 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $320.84 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $317.97 million. Buckle had a return on equity of 43.97% and a net margin of 16.12%.Buckle’s revenue was up 9.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.88 earnings per share.

Insider Activity at Buckle

In other Buckle news, EVP Kari G. Smith sold 20,000 shares of Buckle stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $59.36, for a total transaction of $1,187,200.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 150,354 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,925,013.44. The trade was a 11.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Brett P. Milkie sold 6,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.17, for a total transaction of $361,020.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 89,570 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,389,426.90. The trade was a 6.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 46,000 shares of company stock worth $2,738,020. 39.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its stake in Buckle by 1,928.1% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 649 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 617 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Buckle by 81.6% in the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 463 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 208 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP grew its position in shares of Buckle by 1,652.3% during the second quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 771 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 727 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Buckle by 162.2% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 957 shares of the company’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 592 shares during the period. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. raised its stake in Buckle by 64.9% during the 2nd quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 999 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 393 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 53.93% of the company’s stock.

About Buckle

The Buckle, Inc operates as a retailer of casual apparel, footwear, and accessories for young men and women in the United States. It markets a selection of brand name casual apparel, including denims, other casual bottoms, tops, sportswear, outerwear, accessories, and footwear, as well as private label merchandise primarily comprising BKE, Buckle Black, Salvage, Red by BKE, Daytrip, Gimmicks, Gilded Intent, FITZ + EDDI, Willow & Root, Outpost Makers, Departwest, Sterling & Stitch, Reclaim, BKE Vintage, Nova Industries, J.B.