Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) Sets New 1-Year High – Here’s What Happened

Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO) shares hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $60.55 and last traded at $60.3040, with a volume of 98476 shares. The stock had previously closed at $59.46.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have issued reports on ASO. UBS Group boosted their price target on Academy Sports and Outdoors from $52.00 to $54.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $65.00 target price on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a report on Friday, January 2nd. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $65.00 target price on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. Truist Financial set a $59.00 price target on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $51.00 to $59.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Academy Sports and Outdoors has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $59.89.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Stock Up 1.4%

The firm has a market cap of $3.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.71, a PEG ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.26. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $55.14 and a 200 day simple moving average of $51.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 1.71 and a quick ratio of 0.32.

Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, December 9th. The company reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.06 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $1.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.41 billion. Academy Sports and Outdoors had a return on equity of 18.24% and a net margin of 6.27%.The business’s revenue was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.98 earnings per share. Academy Sports and Outdoors has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.650-6.150 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 18th were given a $0.13 dividend. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, December 18th. Academy Sports and Outdoors’s dividend payout ratio is 9.51%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Academy Sports and Outdoors

In related news, Director Brian T. Marley sold 17,071 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.31, for a total transaction of $944,197.01. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 42,607 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,356,593.17. The trade was a 28.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate 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 modified their holdings of ASO. Royal Bank of Canada raised its stake in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 8.5% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 59,775 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,726,000 after purchasing an additional 4,665 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 3.2% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 40,472 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,846,000 after buying an additional 1,257 shares during the last quarter. United Services Automobile Association acquired a new stake in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors during the 1st quarter worth approximately $223,000. Strs Ohio acquired a new stake in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors during the 1st quarter worth approximately $128,000. Finally, KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS raised its position in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 9.1% during the 2nd quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS now owns 14,400 shares of the company’s stock valued at $647,000 after buying an additional 1,200 shares during the period.

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.