Barclays Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) Stock

Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) had its target price raised by investment analysts at Barclays from $49.00 to $55.00 in a note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “equal weight” rating on the stock. Barclays‘s target price would indicate a potential downside of 1.22% from the company’s previous close.

Several other brokerages also recently commented on ASO. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $65.00 target price on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $57.00 to $52.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 18th. UBS Group lowered their price objective on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $60.00 to $56.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 18th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $52.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $56.00 to $60.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 18th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $58.43.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:ASO opened at $55.68 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.58 billion, a PE ratio of 10.01, a P/E/G ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 1.89 and a quick ratio of 0.44. The business has a 50-day moving average of $57.31 and a two-hundred day moving average of $53.16. Academy Sports and Outdoors has a 12 month low of $34.77 and a 12 month high of $62.44.

Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 17th. The company reported $1.97 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.05 by ($0.08). The firm 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%.The business’s revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.96 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Academy Sports and Outdoors will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Salomon & Ludwin LLC boosted its holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 139.8% in the fourth quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 482 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 281 shares during the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 32.6% in the third quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,025 shares of the company’s stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 252 shares during the last quarter. Huntington National Bank boosted its holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 47.3% in the third quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 1,015 shares of the company’s stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 326 shares during the last quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd purchased a new position in Academy Sports and Outdoors in the fourth quarter valued at about $51,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted 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 purchasing an additional 602 shares during the last quarter.

Academy Sports and Outdoors News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Management raised FY2026 guidance: EPS guidance of $6.10–$6.60 vs. consensus $5.98, and revenue guidance of $6.2B–$6.4B vs. consensus ~$6.2B. The EPS range tops analysts’ estimate and revenue midpoint implies modest growth — a clear positive fundamental catalyst for ASO.
• Positive Sentiment: Guggenheim raised its price target from $60 to $65 and kept a “buy” rating, implying ~16–17% upside from current levels — a bullish analyst signal that may attract buyers. Benzinga – Guggenheim PT Raise
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its target to $56 and maintained an “equal weight” rating — a modest improvement to street sentiment that supports the stronger FY outlook. Benzinga – Wells Fargo PT Raise
• Neutral Sentiment: Q1 2026 guidance issued with revenue of ~$1.4B (range effectively flat to consensus) but the EPS figure was not provided in the release text, leaving first-quarter profit expectations unclear and creating short‑term estimate risk.
• Neutral Sentiment: Company presented at the J.P. Morgan Retail Round‑Up and published investor-day slides/transcript this week — these materials reiterate strategy and growth initiatives but contain no major surprises; useful for modeling longer‑term margins and capital allocation. JPMorgan Presentation Transcript Investor Day Slideshow
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces and sector notes provide mixed analyst views and deeper comparisons to peers; these help context but don’t change near‑term fundamentals materially. Globe & Mail – Analyst Sentiment AmericanBankingNews Analysis MSN – Guidance Update
• Negative Sentiment: Barclays raised its target to $55 but kept an “equal weight” rating; the $55 target sits slightly below the current market price, implying limited near‑term upside per that house view and potentially capping upside from the guidance beat. Benzinga – Barclays PT Raise

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.