Buckle (NYSE:BKE) Releases Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.08 EPS

Buckle (NYSE:BKE) issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday. The company reported $1.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.51 by $0.08, Briefing.com reports. Buckle had a net margin of 16.13% and a return on equity of 44.42%. The company had revenue of $399.14 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $396.45 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.53 EPS. Buckle’s quarterly revenue was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year.

Here are the key takeaways from Buckle’s conference call:

• Q4 and full-year earnings improved — Q4 net income was $80.8M ($1.59/share) versus $77.2M a year ago, and full-year net income was $209.7M ($4.14) versus $195.5M, while Q4 sales rose 5.3% to $399.1M and full-year sales increased 6.6% to $1.298B.
• Profitability remained strong — Q4 gross margin was stable at 52.6% and full-year gross margin improved to 49.0%, with operating margin roughly flat to slightly higher year-over-year.
• Product momentum concentrated in women’s and kids — women’s sales grew ~12% in the quarter (now ~46% of sales) with denim up 10.5% and higher AURs, and the kids business grew about 16%.
• Inventory increased meaningfully — inventory rose ~15.5% to $139.5M, which could tie up working capital or present risk if demand softens despite management saying the increase was to support heightened denim demand.
• Healthy cash and shareholder returns, plus expansion plans — the company ended with $306.6M in cash and investments after paying $225.1M in dividends, completed $45.4M in annual capex, and plans to open 12–14 new stores and remodel 12–14 locations in fiscal 2026.

Buckle Trading Down 1.3%

BKE traded down $0.65 during trading on Friday, hitting $50.01. 296,445 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 474,916. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.26 and a beta of 1.17. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $52.39 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $55.18. Buckle has a 12-month low of $33.12 and a 12-month high of $61.69.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Buckle from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 7th. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Buckle in a report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Buckle in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $55.00.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Buckle

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its position in Buckle by 9.5% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 94,408 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,618,000 after buying an additional 8,202 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its position in Buckle by 4.5% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 18,363 shares of the company’s stock worth $704,000 after acquiring an additional 797 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Buckle by 15.3% during the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 99,547 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,815,000 after acquiring an additional 13,189 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Buckle by 1,928.1% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 649 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 617 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its position in shares of Buckle by 323.6% during the 2nd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 27,366 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,241,000 after acquiring an additional 20,905 shares during the period. 53.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Buckle Company Profile

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.