Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) Reaches New 1-Year High – Here’s What Happened

Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO) shares hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $60.55 and last traded at $60.3040, with a volume of 98476 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $59.46.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently weighed in on ASO. Truist Financial set a $59.00 target price on Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Academy Sports and Outdoors from $52.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Bank of America lifted 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, 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. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $59.89.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Stock Performance

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 stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $54.80 and a 200-day simple moving average of $51.45. The company has a market capitalization of $3.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.57, a PEG ratio of 1.00 and a beta of 1.26.

Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, December 9th. The company reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.06 by $0.08. The business 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 firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.98 EPS. Academy Sports and Outdoors has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.650-6.150 EPS. Equities analysts forecast 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 declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, December 18th were given a dividend of $0.13 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, December 18th. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. Academy Sports and Outdoors’s dividend payout ratio is 9.51%.

Insider Transactions at Academy Sports and Outdoors

In other Academy Sports and Outdoors news, Director Brian T. Marley sold 17,071 shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors stock in a transaction on Friday, December 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.31, for a total value of $944,197.01. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 42,607 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,356,593.17. The trade was a 28.61% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 3.62% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Academy Sports and Outdoors

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ASO. LSV Asset Management raised its stake in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 43.0% in the second quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 3,119,790 shares of the company’s stock worth $139,798,000 after acquiring an additional 937,449 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in the second quarter valued at approximately $34,228,000. Junto Capital Management LP bought a new position in Academy Sports and Outdoors in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $36,567,000. Boston Partners lifted its holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 85.5% during the 3rd quarter. Boston Partners now owns 1,302,141 shares of the company’s stock worth $65,416,000 after buying an additional 600,335 shares in the last quarter. Finally, William Blair Investment Management LLC boosted its position in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 45.2% in the 2nd quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC now owns 1,440,032 shares of the company’s stock valued at $64,528,000 after buying an additional 448,582 shares during 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.