Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) Shares Gap Down After Earnings Miss

Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO) gapped down before the market opened on Tuesday after the company announced weaker than expected quarterly earnings. The stock had previously closed at $56.51, but opened at $53.99. Academy Sports and Outdoors shares last traded at $52.0430, with a volume of 1,450,559 shares.

The company reported $1.97 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.05 by ($0.08). The company had revenue of $1.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.76 billion. Academy Sports and Outdoors had a return on equity of 17.88% and a net margin of 6.22%.Academy Sports and Outdoors’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.96 earnings per share.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Investors of record on Friday, March 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. This is a positive change from Academy Sports and Outdoors’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 20th. Academy Sports and Outdoors’s dividend payout ratio is 9.51%.

More Academy Sports and Outdoors News

Here are the key news stories impacting Academy Sports and Outdoors this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company raised the quarterly dividend 15%, reported store expansion (24 new stores in 2025) and plans to open 20–25 stores in 2026 — signals of capital return and growth investment. GlobeNewswire: Q4 & Fiscal 2025 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Telsey Advisory reaffirmed an “Outperform” with a $65 price target, supporting upside thesis for longer‑term investors. Benzinga: Telsey reiterates Outperform
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target (to $60) while keeping a neutral rating — a modest analytical vote of confidence amid the pullback. Benzinga: JPMorgan raises PT
• Neutral Sentiment: Operational mix: e‑commerce grew (~13.6% for the year) and gross margin expanded, but comps declined and transactions fell — the positives (omnichannel traction) are balanced by weaker traffic. MarketBeat: Stock Sinks After Earnings (analysis)
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest data published for March appears inconsistent (entries show 0 shares / NaN change), suggesting reported short‑interest moves are likely data errors and not a confirmed catalyst. (No reliable article link available.)
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 missed expectations: EPS of $1.97 vs. consensus ~ $2.05 and revenue $1.72B vs. ~$1.76B; management issued cautious FY26 guidance and flagged consumer pressure (higher delinquencies, traffic declines), driving a recent sharp share selloff. MarketBeat: Q4 earnings report
• Negative Sentiment: Several brokers trimmed targets or turned more cautious (UBS, Wells Fargo, Barclays lowered PTs / assigned neutral/equal‑weight ratings), adding downward analyst pressure on the stock. Benzinga: Analyst price target moves

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have commented on ASO shares. Truist Financial lowered their price objective on Academy Sports and Outdoors from $59.00 to $52.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $65.00 target price on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a report on Tuesday. UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $60.00 to $56.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $59.00 to $49.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $58.78.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in ASO. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Academy Sports and Outdoors in the 2nd quarter valued at $34,228,000. Junto Capital Management LP acquired a new position in Academy Sports and Outdoors during the third quarter worth $36,567,000. Boston Partners raised its position in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 85.5% during the third quarter. Boston Partners now owns 1,302,141 shares of the company’s stock worth $65,416,000 after acquiring an additional 600,335 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 128.2% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 833,769 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,655,000 after purchasing an additional 468,457 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hood River Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 125.0% during the second quarter. Hood River Capital Management LLC now owns 782,742 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,075,000 after purchasing an additional 434,894 shares in the last quarter.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Trading Up 1.7%

The firm has a market cap of $3.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 1.23. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $57.72 and its 200-day moving average price is $52.47. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 1.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22.

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.