Jefferies Financial Group Lowers Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) Price Target to $64.00

Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) had its target price reduced by Jefferies Financial Group from $68.00 to $64.00 in a report published on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. Jefferies Financial Group currently has a buy rating on the stock.

A number of other research analysts also recently commented on the stock. UBS Group downgraded shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from a buy rating to a neutral rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $81.00 to $58.00 in a research report on Wednesday, June 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $76.00 to $53.00 in a research note on Monday, August 5th. Bank of America cut Academy Sports and Outdoors from a buy rating to a neutral rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $75.00 to $63.00 in a research report on Tuesday, June 11th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Academy Sports and Outdoors from $46.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an outperform rating and set a $65.00 price target on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a report on Thursday, September 5th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $62.86.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Stock Performance

Shares of ASO opened at $59.01 on Wednesday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $53.61 and a two-hundred day moving average of $57.57. The stock has a market cap of $4.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.02, a PEG ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 1.66 and a quick ratio of 0.41. Academy Sports and Outdoors has a one year low of $42.83 and a one year high of $75.73.

Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, September 10th. The company reported $2.03 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.96 by $0.07. Academy Sports and Outdoors had a net margin of 7.98% and a return on equity of 25.56%. The firm had revenue of $1.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.57 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.01 EPS. The company’s revenue was down 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Academy Sports and Outdoors will post 6.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 17th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 19th will be paid a $0.11 dividend. This represents a $0.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.75%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 19th. Academy Sports and Outdoors’s payout ratio is 6.73%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Jeffrey C. Tweedy sold 625 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.25, for a total transaction of $33,906.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 10,106 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $548,250.50. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 2.19% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ASO. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 28.4% in the fourth quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 22,619 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,493,000 after acquiring an additional 4,999 shares during the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 52.3% in the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 46,454 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,066,000 after purchasing an additional 15,955 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 2.3% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 676,601 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,656,000 after purchasing an additional 15,285 shares during the period. Principal Securities Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors during the fourth quarter valued at about $342,000. Finally, QRG Capital Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 21.1% during the fourth quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 6,095 shares of the company’s stock valued at $402,000 after buying an additional 1,064 shares during the last quarter.

About Academy Sports and Outdoors

Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates as a sporting goods and outdoor recreational retailer in the United States. The company outdoor division comprises camping products, such as coolers and drinkware, and camping accessories and equipment,; fishing products, including marine equipment and fishing rods, reels, and baits and equipment; and hunting products, which includes firearms, ammunition, archery and archery equipment, camouflage apparel, waders, shooting accessories, gun safes, optics, airguns, and hunting equipment.