Escalade (NASDAQ:ESCA) Stock Moved Down to "Buy" by Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded Escalade from “strong buy” to “buy,” while other analysts issued neutral or hold ratings; MarketBeat’s average rating is “Hold.”
• Escalade reported quarterly EPS of $0.48, beating the $0.34 consensus estimate, but revenue of $65.61 million fell short of the $68.48 million forecast.
• The stock opened at $19.70, with a market capitalization of approximately $271 million; insiders have sold 41,227 shares worth about $873,000 over the past quarter.

Escalade (NASDAQ:ESCA - Get Free Report) was downgraded by Wall Street Zen from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report released on Saturday, Wall Street Zen reports.

Several other research firms have also commented on ESCA. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH started coverage on shares of Escalade in a research report on Tuesday, October 13th. They issued a "neutral" rating on the stock. Zacks Research downgraded Escalade from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, October 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered Escalade from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold".

Escalade Price Performance

ESCA opened at $19.70 on Friday. Escalade has a 1-year low of $11.41 and a 1-year high of $23.07. The stock has a market cap of $271.27 million, a P/E ratio of 11.51 and a beta of 0.52. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $19.40 and its 200 day simple moving average is $18.09.

Escalade (NASDAQ:ESCA - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $0.48 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.34 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $65.61 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.48 million. Escalade had a return on equity of 13.68% and a net margin of 10.03%. Research analysts expect that Escalade will post 1.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Escalade

In related news, CFO Stephen Wawrin sold 3,177 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.40, for a total value of $67,987.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 45,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $963,000. This represents a 6.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Edward E. Williams sold 2,373 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.99, for a total value of $49,809.27. Following the transaction, the director owned 129,452 shares in the company, valued at $2,717,197.48. This trade represents a 1.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 41,227 shares of company stock worth $872,743 over the last quarter. 33.14% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new position in Escalade during the second quarter worth approximately $1,720,000. De Lisle Partners LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Escalade during the 2nd quarter valued at $1,204,000. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Escalade during the 2nd quarter valued at $9,851,000. Northstar Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Escalade during the second quarter valued at about $1,136,000. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc increased its stake in Escalade by 2,074.4% during the third quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 3,392 shares of the company's stock worth $65,000 after acquiring an additional 3,236 shares during the last quarter. 65.22% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Escalade News

Here are the key news stories impacting Escalade this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Escalade earned $0.48 per share, exceeding the analyst consensus of $0.34 by $0.14. The company also reported a 13.11% return on equity and a 9.46% net margin, indicating healthy profitability. Escalade quarterly earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: The board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.1525 per share, or $0.61 annualized. At approximately a 3.0% yield, the payout supports the stock’s income appeal. The dividend is payable January 11 to shareholders of record January 4. Escalade Q3 2026 earnings call transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Escalade’s quarterly results included revenue of $65.61 million, with net profitability remaining solid. Investors will likely focus on management’s earnings-call commentary regarding demand, margins and the outlook for the remainder of the year. Escalade reports third-quarter 2026 results
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue fell short of the $68.48 million analyst estimate by roughly $2.87 million. The sales miss suggests demand or shipment trends were weaker than expected and may outweigh the EPS beat for investors evaluating future growth. Escalade tops EPS expectations while missing on revenue

About Escalade

Escalade, Inc is a sporting goods manufacturer and distributor headquartered in Evansville, Indiana. The company develops, manufactures and markets products for recreational and competitive sports, with a focus on indoor and outdoor activities.

Its product portfolio includes table tennis equipment, pickleball and other game-related products, archery equipment, darts, billiards, game-room furnishings, and outdoor recreation products. Escalade sells products under a variety of established brands, including STIGA, Onix, Accudart, Victory Tailgate, Harrows and Unicorn, as well as through private-label offerings.

Escalade serves sporting goods retailers, specialty dealers, mass merchants, e-commerce channels and institutional customers in the United States and international markets.

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