ARGA Investment Management LP Makes New Investment in Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. $ASO

ARGA Investment Management LP bought a new stake in Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO) in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 39,158 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,959,000. ARGA Investment Management LP owned about 0.06% of Academy Sports and Outdoors at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its stake in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 15.9% in the 3rd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 1,708 shares of the company’s stock valued at $85,000 after buying an additional 234 shares during the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 32.6% during the 3rd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,025 shares of the company’s stock valued at $51,000 after buying an additional 252 shares in the last quarter. Tectonic Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 0.6% during the third quarter. Tectonic Advisors LLC now owns 45,288 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,265,000 after buying an additional 286 shares during the period. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 5.4% in the second quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 5,631 shares of the company’s stock worth $252,000 after buying an additional 288 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 7.8% in the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 4,842 shares of the company’s stock valued at $242,000 after acquiring an additional 349 shares during the period.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Brian T. Marley sold 17,071 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.31, for a total transaction of $944,197.01. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 42,607 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,356,593.17. This trade represents a 28.61% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 3.62% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Trading Down 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:ASO opened at $56.82 on Friday. 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, Inc. has a 12-month low of $33.34 and a 12-month high of $59.49. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $51.94 and a 200 day moving average of $51.11. The company has a market cap of $3.79 billion, a PE ratio of 10.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 1.25.

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

Academy Sports and Outdoors Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, December 18th were paid a dividend of $0.13 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, December 18th. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Academy Sports and Outdoors’s payout ratio is currently 9.51%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on ASO shares. 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 research note on Thursday, January 15th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $65.00 target price on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research note on Friday, January 2nd. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $65.00 target price on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. Finally, Truist Financial set a $59.00 target price on Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $59.89.

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.