Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) Reaches New 12-Month High – Here’s Why

Shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $59.67 and last traded at $59.2980, with a volume of 1212744 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $56.14.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Barclays boosted their target price on Academy Sports and Outdoors from $51.00 to $59.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Evercore ISI boosted their price objective on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $65.00 target price on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a report on Friday, January 2nd. Truist Financial set a $59.00 price target on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $65.00 price objective on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $59.89.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Stock Up 5.2%

The company has a market cap of $3.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.25. 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 business’s fifty day moving average is $53.38 and its two-hundred day moving average is $51.27.

Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) last issued 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. Academy Sports and Outdoors had a net margin of 6.27% and a return on equity of 18.24%. The business had revenue of $1.38 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.41 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.98 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Academy Sports and Outdoors has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.650-6.150 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 18th were given a dividend of $0.13 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend 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 payout ratio is 9.51%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Academy Sports and Outdoors

In other news, Director Brian T. Marley sold 3,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.01, for a total transaction of $192,535.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 39,107 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,151,276.07. This represents a 8.21% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 3.62% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in ASO. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in the 4th quarter worth $228,000. Strs Ohio grew its stake in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 61.5% in the fourth quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 2,100 shares of the company’s stock valued at $105,000 after purchasing an additional 800 shares during the last quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System raised its holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 6.5% in the fourth quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System now owns 34,092 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,703,000 after purchasing an additional 2,071 shares in the last quarter. Verity Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Verity Asset Management Inc. now owns 32,788 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,638,000 after buying an additional 182 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D boosted its holdings in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 23.2% in the 4th quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D now owns 50,797 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,538,000 after buying an additional 9,575 shares in the last quarter.

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.