Escalade, Incorporated (NASDAQ:ESCA) Short Interest Update

Escalade, Incorporated (NASDAQ:ESCA) saw a large increase in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 95,900 shares, an increase of 28.2% from the March 31st total of 74,800 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 19,300 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 5.0 days. Approximately 1.1% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Escalade Stock Performance

ESCA opened at $13.67 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 4.41, a quick ratio of 1.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. Escalade has a 12-month low of $11.42 and a 12-month high of $22.01. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $13.89 and a two-hundred day moving average of $16.90. The firm has a market capitalization of $189.47 million, a PE ratio of 15.02 and a beta of 1.21.

Escalade (NASDAQ:ESCA) last issued its earnings results on Friday, March 29th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Escalade had a net margin of 4.76% and a return on equity of 7.78%. The firm had revenue of $65.51 million during the quarter. On average, analysts anticipate that Escalade will post 1.29 EPS for the current year.

Escalade Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 8th will be paid a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 8th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.39%. Escalade’s payout ratio is 65.93%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com lowered Escalade from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 23rd.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Ritholtz Wealth Management boosted its position in Escalade by 13.8% in the 4th quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management now owns 16,940 shares of the company’s stock worth $340,000 after purchasing an additional 2,056 shares in the last quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Escalade by 30.6% during the third quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 31,543 shares of the company’s stock worth $483,000 after buying an additional 7,396 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Escalade during the fourth quarter valued at $118,000. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Escalade in the third quarter valued at $291,000. Finally, Denali Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Escalade in the third quarter worth about $47,000. 65.22% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other 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.