Buckle (NYSE:BKE) Stock Price Crosses Above 200-Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Buckle, Inc. (The) (NYSE:BKE) shares crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $53.76 and traded as high as $55.00. Buckle shares last traded at $55.1950, with a volume of 222,918 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have weighed in on BKE. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Buckle in a research note on Monday, November 24th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Buckle from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, December 14th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Buckle in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $55.00.

Buckle Price Performance

The firm has a fifty day moving average of $55.95 and a two-hundred day moving average of $53.76. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.53 and a beta of 1.14.

Buckle (NYSE:BKE) last posted its earnings results on Friday, November 21st. The company reported $0.96 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.94 by $0.02. Buckle had a net margin of 16.13% and a return on equity of 44.42%. The business had revenue of $320.84 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $317.97 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.88 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis.

Buckle Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a special dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, January 15th will be paid a $3.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 15th. This represents a yield of 248.0%. Buckle’s payout ratio is 34.31%.

Institutional Trading of Buckle

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in shares of Buckle by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,303,606 shares of the company’s stock valued at $76,471,000 after acquiring an additional 13,556 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its position in Buckle by 7.8% during the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,209,869 shares of the company’s stock valued at $70,971,000 after purchasing an additional 87,920 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Buckle by 5.6% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 900,932 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,861,000 after purchasing an additional 47,751 shares during the last quarter. New Vernon Capital Holdings II LLC raised its holdings in Buckle by 3,732.0% in the first quarter. New Vernon Capital Holdings II LLC now owns 671,251 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,722,000 after purchasing an additional 653,734 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its position in shares of Buckle by 1.7% during the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 532,522 shares of the company’s stock valued at $24,150,000 after buying an additional 9,118 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 53.93% of the company’s stock.

Buckle Company Profile

Buckle, Inc is a retailer specializing in casual apparel, footwear and accessories for young men and women. The company is known for its denim-focused collections, offering both private-label lines and curated brand-name merchandise. Its product assortment includes jeans, tops, outerwear, shoes and a variety of accessories such as belts, jewelry and handbags, all aimed at blending contemporary style with everyday comfort.

Founded in 1948 in Kearney, Nebraska, Buckle began as a single clothing store and has since expanded into a nationwide chain.