Escalade (NASDAQ:ESCA) Shares Cross Below 200-Day Moving Average - Should You Sell?

Shares of Escalade, Incorporated (NASDAQ:ESCA - Get Free Report) passed 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 Analysts Forecast Growth

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 Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 1.67, a current ratio of 4.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $14.37 and its 200-day simple moving average is $14.80. The stock has a market cap of $168.48 million, a PE ratio of 12.47 and a beta of 0.77.

Escalade (NASDAQ:ESCA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 5th. The company reported $0.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.13 by $0.06. Escalade had a net margin of 5.54% and a return on equity of 7.49%. The company had revenue of $55.48 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $54.44 million. On average, research analysts expect that Escalade, Incorporated will post 0.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Escalade Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Stephen Wawrin sold 2,177 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 16th. The shares were 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. The trade was a 4.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 28.75% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Escalade

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its holdings in Escalade by 250.4% in the fourth quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,288 shares of the company's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 1,635 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in Escalade by 27,223.8% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 5,738 shares of the company's stock worth $88,000 after purchasing an additional 5,717 shares during the period. Wells Fargo & Company MN grew its holdings in Escalade by 22.9% in the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 6,870 shares of the company's stock worth $98,000 after purchasing an additional 1,278 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its holdings in Escalade by 6.9% in the fourth quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 12,430 shares of the company's stock worth $178,000 after purchasing an additional 800 shares during the period. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG grew its holdings in Escalade by 149.7% in the fourth quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 13,221 shares of the company's stock worth $189,000 after purchasing an additional 7,927 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.22% of the company's stock.

About Escalade

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.