Fifth Third Bancorp Purchases 57,763 Shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. $ASO

Fifth Third Bancorp increased its position in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO) by 9,627.2% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 58,363 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 57,763 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp’s holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors were worth $2,919,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Huntington National Bank lifted its position in shares of 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 buying an additional 470 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of 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 last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its holdings 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 valued at $56,000 after buying an additional 602 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 89.9% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,388 shares of the company’s stock worth $62,000 after purchasing an additional 657 shares during the period. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust boosted its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 234 shares during the last quarter.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Barclays lifted their price objective on Academy Sports and Outdoors from $51.00 to $59.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a report on Monday, December 29th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Academy Sports and Outdoors from $52.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and set a $65.00 price objective on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. Finally, UBS Group upped their price objective on Academy Sports and Outdoors from $52.00 to $54.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Academy Sports and Outdoors has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $59.89.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Stock Down 1.2%

Shares of ASO opened at $59.04 on Thursday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $55.55 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $51.67. The company has a market cap of $3.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.79, a P/E/G ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 1.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 1.71 and a quick ratio of 0.32. Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. has a one year low of $33.34 and a one year high of $60.55.

Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, December 9th. The company reported $1.14 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.06 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $1.38 billion during 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%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.98 earnings per share. Academy Sports and Outdoors has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.650-6.150 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity at Academy Sports and Outdoors

In other news, Director Brian T. Marley sold 3,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.01, for a total transaction of $192,535.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 39,107 shares in the company, valued at $2,151,276.07. This trade represents a 8.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 3.62% of the company’s stock.

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.