Escalade (NASDAQ:ESCA) Stock Crosses Below 200-Day Moving Average - Here's Why

Shares of Escalade, Incorporated (NASDAQ:ESCA - Get Free Report) crossed below its two hundred day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $14.81 and traded as low as $12.84. Escalade shares last traded at $13.02, with a volume of 23,081 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Escalade from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 16th.

Escalade Stock Down 3.8%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10, a quick ratio of 1.67 and a current ratio of 4.05. The company has a market capitalization of $168.51 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.47 and a beta of 0.77. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $14.32 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $14.79.

Escalade (NASDAQ:ESCA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 5th. The company reported $0.19 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.13 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $55.48 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $54.44 million. Escalade had a net margin of 5.54% and a return on equity of 7.49%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Escalade, Incorporated will post 0.93 EPS for the current year.

Escalade Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 7th were issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, July 7th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.91%. Escalade's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 61.22%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Escalade news, CFO Stephen Wawrin sold 2,177 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $15.16, for a total transaction of $33,003.32. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 43,000 shares in the company, valued at $651,880. This trade represents a 4.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 28.75% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Escalade

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Rehmann Capital Advisory Group bought a new position in Escalade in the first quarter worth $4,731,000. Ritholtz Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of Escalade during the 1st quarter worth about $305,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in shares of Escalade by 98.1% during the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 37,474 shares of the company's stock worth $535,000 after buying an additional 18,560 shares during the period. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Escalade during the 4th quarter valued at about $217,000. Finally, Nuveen LLC bought a new position in shares of Escalade during the 1st quarter valued at about $224,000. 65.22% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Escalade Company Profile

Escalade, Incorporated, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, distributes, imports, and sells sporting goods in North America, Europe, and internationally. The company provides various sporting goods brands in basketball goals, archery, indoor and outdoor game recreation, and fitness products.