Escalade (NASDAQ:ESCA) Director Richard Fenton Baalmann, Jr. Sells 5,000 Shares of Stock

Escalade, Incorporated (NASDAQ:ESCA) Director Richard Fenton Baalmann, Jr. sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $22.27, for a total value of $111,350.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 97,794 shares in the company, valued at $2,177,872.38. This trade represents a 4.86% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Escalade Stock Up 1.6%

Shares of ESCA opened at $22.60 on Friday. Escalade, Incorporated has a 52-week low of $11.41 and a 52-week high of $23.07. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $19.07 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $17.54. The company has a market capitalization of $311.11 million, a PE ratio of 13.53 and a beta of 0.58.

Escalade (NASDAQ:ESCA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $0.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.16 by $0.52. The firm had revenue of $57.70 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $57.60 million. Escalade had a net margin of 9.46% and a return on equity of 13.11%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Escalade, Incorporated will post 1.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Escalade Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 13th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, October 6th will be given a $0.1525 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 6th. This represents a $0.61 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. Escalade’s dividend payout ratio is presently 36.53%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have weighed in on ESCA shares. Weiss Ratings raised Escalade from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Escalade from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. Finally, Zacks Research cut Escalade from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy”.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Escalade

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in Escalade in the second quarter valued at $29,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its holdings in Escalade by 439.0% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 3,622 shares of the company’s stock worth $51,000 after buying an additional 2,950 shares during the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new position in shares of Escalade during the 2nd quarter worth about $156,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Escalade by 7.0% in the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 11,845 shares of the company’s stock valued at $160,000 after acquiring an additional 779 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Certior Financial Group LLC raised its position in shares of Escalade by 10.2% during the 4th quarter. Certior Financial Group LLC now owns 12,351 shares of the company’s stock worth $167,000 after acquiring an additional 1,143 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.22% of the company’s stock.

Escalade Company Profile

Escalade, Inc is a U.S.-based manufacturer and distributor of recreational equipment and specialty products for both consumer and commercial markets. Headquartered in Evansville, Indiana, the company operates through two principal business segments: Sporting Goods and Commercial Products. The Sporting Goods segment encompasses a diverse range of products such as hockey and lacrosse goal assemblies, fitness accessories, archery and hunting gear, and table tennis equipment. The Commercial Products segment focuses on seating solutions for restaurants, hospitality venues and other public spaces under the Top Seat brand, as well as storage, display products and industrial carts.

Within Sporting Goods, Escalade markets its products under proprietary brands including Bear® Archery, Gene St.