Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO) Receives Average Recommendation of “Hold” from Brokerages

Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO) has received an average recommendation of “Hold” from the sixteen analysts that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $57.3571.

A number of analysts recently weighed in on ASO shares. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $61.00 price objective on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $65.00 target price on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Academy Sports and Outdoors from $56.00 to $60.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 18th. Barclays decreased their price target on Academy Sports and Outdoors from $59.00 to $49.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 18th. Finally, UBS Group cut their price objective on Academy Sports and Outdoors from $60.00 to $56.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 18th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Academy Sports and Outdoors

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,957,374 shares of the company’s stock worth $197,708,000 after buying an additional 77,470 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its stake in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,715,677 shares of the company’s stock worth $136,028,000 after buying an additional 59,446 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 6.1% in the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 2,176,853 shares of the company’s stock valued at $108,886,000 after buying an additional 125,398 shares during the period. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 5.9% in the second quarter. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. now owns 2,110,172 shares of the company’s stock valued at $94,557,000 after buying an additional 117,175 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,006,467 shares of the company’s stock valued at $100,261,000 after acquiring an additional 5,933 shares during the last quarter.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Trading Up 1.7%

ASO opened at $53.54 on Wednesday. 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 fifty-two week low of $33.34 and a fifty-two week high of $62.44. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $57.48 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $52.54. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.63, a PEG ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 1.23.

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

Academy Sports and Outdoors Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 20th. This is a positive change from Academy Sports and Outdoors’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. Academy Sports and Outdoors’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 10.79%.

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.