Maryland State Retirement & Pension System Sells 9,994 Shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. $ASO

Maryland State Retirement & Pension System lowered its holdings in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO) by 51.1% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 9,557 shares of the company’s stock after selling 9,994 shares during the quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System’s holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors were worth $478,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Huntington National Bank grew its position in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 214.6% in the 2nd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 689 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 470 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC raised 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 worth $51,000 after buying an additional 252 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 89.9% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,388 shares of the company’s stock valued at $62,000 after buying an additional 657 shares in the last quarter. Strs Ohio acquired a new position in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in the first quarter valued at approximately $128,000. Finally, Lazard Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 12.4% during the second quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 3,270 shares of the company’s stock worth $146,000 after acquiring an additional 360 shares in the last quarter.

Insider Transactions at Academy Sports and Outdoors

In other Academy Sports and Outdoors news, Director Brian T. Marley sold 3,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.01, for a total value of $192,535.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 39,107 shares in the company, valued at $2,151,276.07. This trade represents a 8.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 3.62% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently commented on ASO shares. Truist Financial set a $59.00 price objective on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a report on Monday, December 29th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $65.00 price objective on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research report on Friday, January 2nd. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Academy Sports and Outdoors from $52.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Evercore ISI boosted their target price on Academy Sports and Outdoors from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 14th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $59.89.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Stock Performance

ASO opened at $56.82 on Friday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $51.94 and its 200 day simple moving average is $51.11. Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. has a 52-week low of $33.34 and a 52-week high of $59.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a current ratio of 1.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.79 billion, a PE ratio of 10.39, a PEG ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 1.25.

Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, December 9th. The company reported $1.14 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.06 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $1.38 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.41 billion. Academy Sports and Outdoors had a return on equity of 18.24% and a net margin of 6.27%.The business’s revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company 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, sell-side analysts expect that Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Dividend Announcement

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

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.