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

Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) had its target price raised by equities researchers at Guggenheim from $60.00 to $65.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the stock. Guggenheim’s price target points to a potential upside of 16.74% from the company’s previous close.

ASO has been the subject of a number of other reports. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $52.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Truist Financial lowered their target price on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $59.00 to $52.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $65.00 price objective on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. UBS Group reduced 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 report on Wednesday, March 18th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a report on Monday, December 29th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Academy Sports and Outdoors presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $58.43.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Trading Down 0.9%

Academy Sports and Outdoors stock opened at $55.68 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $3.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.01, a PEG 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. Academy Sports and Outdoors has a 1 year low of $34.77 and a 1 year high of $62.44. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $57.31 and its 200-day moving average price is $53.16.

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Academy Sports and Outdoors

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its stake in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 239.4% in the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 19,525 shares of the company’s stock valued at $975,000 after acquiring an additional 13,773 shares during the period. Villanova Investment Management Co LLC raised its stake in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 12.2% in the 4th quarter. Villanova Investment Management Co LLC now owns 44,020 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,199,000 after purchasing an additional 4,790 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 128.2% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 833,769 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,655,000 after acquiring an additional 468,457 shares during the last quarter. XTX Topco Ltd increased its stake in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 1,676.0% in the 4th quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 77,912 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,892,000 after acquiring an additional 73,525 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Verdad Advisers LP acquired a new stake in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in the 4th quarter worth $749,000.

Key Headlines Impacting Academy Sports and Outdoors

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

About Academy Sports and Outdoors

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.