Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. $ASO Shares Bought by Heartland Advisors Inc.

Heartland Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO) by 71.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 273,617 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 114,427 shares during the period. Heartland Advisors Inc. owned approximately 0.41% of Academy Sports and Outdoors worth $13,686,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Huntington National Bank increased its position in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 214.6% during the 2nd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 689 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 470 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 32.6% during the third quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,025 shares of the company’s stock worth $51,000 after acquiring an additional 252 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its position in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 117.8% in the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,113 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,000 after acquiring an additional 602 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 657 shares during the period. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust boosted its position in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 15.9% during the 3rd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 1,708 shares of the company’s stock worth $85,000 after purchasing an additional 234 shares in the last quarter.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on ASO shares. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $52.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $65.00 price target on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a report on Friday, January 2nd. Barclays lifted their price objective on Academy Sports and Outdoors from $51.00 to $59.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $55.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Truist Financial set a $59.00 price objective on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Academy Sports and Outdoors has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $59.89.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Stock Up 1.4%

Shares of NASDAQ ASO opened at $58.56 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.90 billion, a PE ratio of 10.71, a P/E/G ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.26. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 1.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $55.33 and a 200-day moving average of $51.55. Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. has a 52-week low of $33.34 and a 52-week high of $60.55.

Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, December 9th. The company reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.06 by $0.08. Academy Sports and Outdoors had a return on equity of 18.24% and a net margin of 6.27%.The firm had revenue of $1.38 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.41 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.98 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Academy Sports and Outdoors has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.650-6.150 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Brian T. Marley sold 3,500 shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors stock in a transaction on Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.01, for a total transaction of $192,535.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 39,107 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,151,276.07. The trade was a 8.21% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 3.62% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.