Vanguard Group Inc. Has $212.12 Million Stock Position in Buckle, Inc. (The) $BKE

Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Buckle, Inc. (The) (NYSE:BKE) by 2.3% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 3,970,767 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 89,441 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned approximately 0.08% of Buckle worth $212,118,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of BKE. Two Sigma Investments LP grew its holdings in Buckle by 3,695.1% in the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 242,510 shares of the company’s stock worth $14,226,000 after purchasing an additional 236,120 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its holdings in Buckle by 376.3% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 288,920 shares of the company’s stock worth $16,948,000 after purchasing an additional 228,260 shares during the period. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd acquired a new stake in Buckle in the third quarter worth $10,393,000. Squarepoint Ops LLC grew its holdings in Buckle by 322.4% in the second quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 166,626 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,556,000 after purchasing an additional 127,177 shares during the period. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Buckle by 119.3% in the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 207,057 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,390,000 after purchasing an additional 112,649 shares during the period. 53.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of Buckle from $55.00 to $53.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 16th. Weiss Ratings raised Buckle from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Buckle from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, April 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Buckle presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $53.00.

Buckle Stock Performance

Shares of Buckle stock opened at $52.45 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.70 billion, a PE ratio of 12.67 and a beta of 1.16. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $52.44 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $53.72. Buckle, Inc. has a 52 week low of $36.57 and a 52 week high of $61.69.

Buckle (NYSE:BKE) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, March 13th. The company reported $1.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.51 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $399.14 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $396.45 million. Buckle had a net margin of 16.16% and a return on equity of 45.18%. The business’s revenue was up 5.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.53 earnings per share.

Buckle Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 29th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 15th were issued a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, April 15th. Buckle’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 33.82%.

Insider Transactions at Buckle

In other news, EVP Kari G. Smith sold 48,860 shares of Buckle stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.39, for a total transaction of $2,462,055.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 76,754 shares in the company, valued at $3,867,634.06. This trade represents a 38.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Michelle Hoffman sold 29,281 shares of Buckle stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.12, for a total transaction of $1,438,282.72. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 45,882 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,253,723.84. This represents a 38.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 126,200 shares of company stock valued at $6,517,932 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 39.00% of the company’s stock.

About Buckle

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.