Buckle (NYSE:BKE) Downgraded to Hold Rating by Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Buckle (NYSE:BKE) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report issued on Sunday.

A number of other equities analysts also recently commented on the company. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Buckle in a report on Friday. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Buckle in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $55.00.

Buckle Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of NYSE:BKE opened at $55.49 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $2.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.60 and a beta of 1.12. Buckle has a 1 year low of $33.12 and a 1 year high of $61.69. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $55.80 and a 200 day simple moving average of $54.68.

Buckle (NYSE:BKE) last issued 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 return on equity of 44.42% and a net margin of 16.13%.The firm had revenue of $320.84 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $317.97 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.88 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.3% compared to the same quarter last year.

Buckle Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a special dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 29th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 15th will be given a $3.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 15th. This represents a dividend yield of 248.0%. Buckle’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 34.31%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in Buckle by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,303,606 shares of the company’s stock worth $76,471,000 after acquiring an additional 13,556 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. increased its stake in shares of Buckle by 7.8% in the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,209,869 shares of the company’s stock worth $70,971,000 after purchasing an additional 87,920 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Buckle by 5.6% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 900,932 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,861,000 after purchasing an additional 47,751 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its position in shares of Buckle by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 532,522 shares of the company’s stock worth $24,150,000 after purchasing an additional 9,118 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS Group AG boosted its stake in Buckle by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 369,091 shares of the company’s stock valued at $21,651,000 after purchasing an additional 2,941 shares during the period. 53.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.