Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO) has been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $59.8889.

ASO has been the subject of several research reports. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $52.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Bank of America raised their target price on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $55.00 to $58.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. 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. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $65.00 price objective on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research note on Friday, January 2nd. Finally, Truist Financial set a $59.00 price objective on Academy Sports and Outdoors in a report on Wednesday, January 14th.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Trading Down 1.7%

ASO opened at $60.13 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.99, a P/E/G ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 1.26. The company has a current ratio of 1.71, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. Academy Sports and Outdoors has a 12 month low of $33.34 and a 12 month high of $62.44. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $56.30 and its 200 day simple moving average is $52.12.

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

Academy Sports and Outdoors Dividend Announcement

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Academy Sports and Outdoors news, Director Brian T. Marley sold 17,071 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, December 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.31, for a total transaction of $944,197.01. Following the sale, the director directly owned 42,607 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,356,593.17. This represents a 28.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 3.62% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Academy Sports and Outdoors

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Verity Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Verity Asset Management Inc. now owns 32,788 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,638,000 after acquiring an additional 182 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 12.1% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,742 shares of the company’s stock worth $86,000 after purchasing an additional 188 shares during the period. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. increased its stake in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 3.7% during the fourth quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 5,599 shares of the company’s stock worth $280,000 after purchasing an additional 202 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 2.8% during the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 7,464 shares of the company’s stock worth $373,000 after purchasing an additional 202 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Asset Management Inc boosted its stake in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 6,721 shares of the company’s stock valued at $336,000 after purchasing an additional 228 shares during the period.

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.