Public Sector Pension Investment Board Raises Holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. $ASO

Public Sector Pension Investment Board increased its stake in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO) by 14.3% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 259,298 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 32,487 shares during the quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board’s holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors were worth $12,970,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund boosted its position in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 14.3% in the 3rd quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 38,671 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,934,000 after purchasing an additional 4,827 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 27.4% during the third quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 433,804 shares of the company’s stock worth $21,698,000 after buying an additional 93,253 shares in the last quarter. Savant Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Academy Sports and Outdoors during the third quarter valued at $246,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 117.8% in the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,113 shares of the company’s stock valued at $56,000 after buying an additional 602 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Allianz Asset Management GmbH raised its position in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 116.7% in the third quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 435,872 shares of the company’s stock worth $21,802,000 after acquiring an additional 234,693 shares during the period.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Brian T. Marley sold 17,071 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.31, for a total value of $944,197.01. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 42,607 shares in the company, valued at $2,356,593.17. This represents a 28.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 3.62% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on ASO shares. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $65.00 target price on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research report on Friday, January 2nd. Bank of America raised their price objective on Academy Sports and Outdoors from $55.00 to $58.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $51.00 to $59.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and set a $65.00 price objective on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Academy Sports and Outdoors has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $59.89.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Stock Up 1.4%

Shares of ASO opened at $58.56 on Monday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $55.14 and a 200 day moving average price of $51.49. Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. has a one year low of $33.34 and a one year high of $60.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a current ratio of 1.71. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.71, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.26.

Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) last released its 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 business had revenue of $1.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.41 billion. Academy Sports and Outdoors had a net margin of 6.27% and a return on equity of 18.24%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.98 earnings per share. Academy Sports and Outdoors has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.650-6.150 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Announces Dividend

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

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.