Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO) has been assigned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the sixteen research firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $57.3571.

A number of research firms have recently commented on ASO. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Academy Sports and Outdoors from $52.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Academy Sports and Outdoors from $57.00 to $52.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 18th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a report on Monday, December 29th. Truist Financial reduced their price target on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $59.00 to $52.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $65.00 price objective on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Stock Performance

NASDAQ ASO opened at $53.54 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $57.48 and its 200 day simple moving average is $52.54. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.63, a P/E/G ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a current ratio of 1.89, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. Academy Sports and Outdoors has a 1 year low of $33.34 and a 1 year high of $62.44.

Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, March 17th. The company reported $1.97 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.05 by ($0.08). The business had revenue of $1.72 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.76 billion. Academy Sports and Outdoors had a return on equity of 17.88% and a net margin of 6.22%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.96 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that Academy Sports and Outdoors will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Stockholders 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 dividend yield of 1.1%. This is a boost from Academy Sports and Outdoors’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 20th. Academy Sports and Outdoors’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 10.79%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Academy Sports and Outdoors

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,957,374 shares of the company’s stock valued at $197,708,000 after purchasing an additional 77,470 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,715,677 shares of the company’s stock valued at $136,028,000 after purchasing an additional 59,446 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 6.1% during the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 2,176,853 shares of the company’s stock worth $108,886,000 after purchasing an additional 125,398 shares during the last quarter. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 5.9% during the second quarter. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. now owns 2,110,172 shares of the company’s stock worth $94,557,000 after purchasing an additional 117,175 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,006,467 shares of the company’s stock valued at $100,261,000 after buying an additional 5,933 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.