Peregrine Capital Management LLC Buys 17,052 Shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. $ASO

Peregrine Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO) by 11.4% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 166,353 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 17,052 shares during the quarter. Peregrine Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors were worth $8,311,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ASO. Salomon & Ludwin LLC boosted its holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 139.8% during the fourth quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 482 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 281 shares during the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 32.6% during the third quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,025 shares of the company’s stock worth $51,000 after buying an additional 252 shares during the last quarter. Huntington National Bank boosted its holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 47.3% during the third quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 1,015 shares of the company’s stock worth $51,000 after buying an additional 326 shares during the last quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd acquired a new position in Academy Sports and Outdoors during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $51,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 117.8% during 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 period.

Insider Buying and Selling at Academy Sports and Outdoors

In other news, Director Jeffrey C. Tweedy sold 4,000 shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.00, for a total transaction of $240,000.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 7,835 shares in the company, valued at $470,100. The trade was a 33.80% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 3.62% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Trading Down 2.5%

NASDAQ:ASO opened at $56.77 on Friday. Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $35.95 and a fifty-two week high of $62.44. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $3.66 billion, a PE ratio of 10.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 1.21. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $57.31 and its 200-day simple moving average is $53.71.

Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) last released its quarterly earnings data 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). Academy Sports and Outdoors had a net margin of 6.22% and a return on equity of 17.88%. The business had revenue of $1.72 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.76 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.96 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. will post 5.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 20th were issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. This is a boost from Academy Sports and Outdoors’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 20th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Academy Sports and Outdoors’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 10.79%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on ASO. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $49.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. B. Riley Financial restated a “buy” rating on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $61.00 price objective on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Guggenheim boosted their price objective on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted 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 report on Thursday, January 15th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $58.57.

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.