Escalade, Incorporated (NASDAQ:ESCA) Sees Large Decline in Short Interest

Escalade, Incorporated (NASDAQ:ESCA) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest in February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 85,400 shares, a decline of 13.7% from the February 13th total of 98,900 shares. Currently, 0.8% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 20,800 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 4.1 days.

Escalade Stock Up 0.2 %

ESCA traded up $0.03 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $15.01. 2,059 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 20,735. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a current ratio of 3.45. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $15.08 and its 200 day moving average price is $14.59. The company has a market cap of $205.23 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.93 and a beta of 1.30. Escalade has a one year low of $12.34 and a one year high of $16.99.

Escalade (NASDAQ:ESCA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 26th. The company reported $0.19 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.20 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $251.51 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $62.20 million. Escalade had a return on equity of 7.17% and a net margin of 5.20%. As a group, analysts expect that Escalade will post 0.93 EPS for the current year.

Escalade Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 7th will be issued a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.00%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 7th. Escalade’s dividend payout ratio is presently 65.22%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Escalade

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Barclays PLC grew its holdings in shares of Escalade by 251.3% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 13,185 shares of the company’s stock valued at $186,000 after acquiring an additional 9,432 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its holdings in shares of Escalade by 301.6% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 18,914 shares of the company’s stock valued at $266,000 after acquiring an additional 14,204 shares in the last quarter. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Escalade by 40.6% in the third quarter. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 20,975 shares of the company’s stock valued at $292,000 after acquiring an additional 6,059 shares in the last quarter. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Escalade in the third quarter valued at approximately $166,000. Finally, De Lisle Partners LLP grew its holdings in shares of Escalade by 6.3% in the third quarter. De Lisle Partners LLP now owns 83,886 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,177,000 after acquiring an additional 5,000 shares in the last quarter. 65.22% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Escalade Company Profile

Escalade, Incorporated, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, distributes, imports, and sells sporting goods in North America, Europe, and internationally. The company provides various sporting goods brands in basketball goals, archery, indoor and outdoor game recreation, and fitness products.