Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) Sets New 52-Week High – Still a Buy?

Shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $61.37 and last traded at $58.6920, with a volume of 320128 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $59.07.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Academy Sports and Outdoors from $52.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Truist Financial set a $59.00 target price on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $52.00 to $54.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and set a $65.00 target price on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $59.89.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Trading Down 0.2%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a current ratio of 1.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.93 billion, a PE ratio of 10.72, a P/E/G ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 1.26. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $55.60 and its 200-day simple moving average is $51.72.

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

Academy Sports and Outdoors Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Transactions at Academy Sports and Outdoors

In related news, Director Brian T. Marley sold 17,071 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.31, for a total transaction of $944,197.01. Following the sale, the director owned 42,607 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,356,593.17. The trade was a 28.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 3.62% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in ASO. Salomon & Ludwin LLC increased its position in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 139.8% during the fourth quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 482 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 281 shares in the last quarter. Huntington National Bank boosted its stake in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 214.6% during the 2nd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 689 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 470 shares during the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 32.6% in the 3rd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,025 shares of the company’s stock worth $51,000 after purchasing an additional 252 shares in the last quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in the fourth quarter worth $51,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 117.8% during the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,113 shares of the company’s stock valued at $56,000 after purchasing an additional 602 shares in the last quarter.

About Academy Sports and Outdoors

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.