1,173,106 Shares in Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. $ASO Purchased by William Blair Investment Management LLC

Key Points

• William Blair Investment Management opened a stake of 1,173,106 Academy Sports and Outdoors shares in the third quarter, valued at about $56.4 million and representing 1.91% of the company.
• Academy reported quarterly earnings of $2.31 per share, beating the $2.07 consensus estimate; revenue rose 3% year over year to $1.65 billion.
• Analysts’ consensus rating was “Moderate Buy”, with an average price target of $61.27; Cantor Fitzgerald initiated coverage with an “overweight” rating and an $89 target.

William Blair Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO - Free Report) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 1,173,106 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $56,415,000. William Blair Investment Management LLC owned 1.91% of Academy Sports and Outdoors as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of ASO. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its stake in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 52.1% in the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 736 shares of the company's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 252 shares during the period. Heritage Family Offices LLP bought a new stake in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors during the third quarter worth $36,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. bought a new stake in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors during the second quarter worth $38,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 38.9% during the first quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 921 shares of the company's stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 258 shares during the period. Finally, State of Wyoming purchased a new stake in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors during the second quarter valued at $55,000.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of ASO traded up $0.30 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $67.59. 800,387 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,383,230. The company has a market capitalization of $4.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.27, a PEG ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a current ratio of 1.74, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. has a 52 week low of $41.29 and a 52 week high of $71.29. The company's 50 day moving average is $56.02 and its two-hundred day moving average is $53.33.

Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, September 9th. The company reported $2.31 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.07 by $0.24. Academy Sports and Outdoors had a return on equity of 18.36% and a net margin of 6.39%. The firm had revenue of $1.65 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.65 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.94 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. Academy Sports and Outdoors has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.500-6.900 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. will post 6.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 14th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 16th were issued a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, September 16th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Academy Sports and Outdoors's payout ratio is currently 10.00%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently commented on ASO. BMO Capital Markets set a $42.00 price target on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Thursday, September 10th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $55.00 to $58.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, September 10th. Truist Financial upped their target price on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $52.00 to $54.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $50.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald began coverage on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research report on Monday, November 9th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $89.00 target price on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $61.27.

Insider Activity

In other news, President Samuel Johnson sold 70,303 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.79, for a total transaction of $3,640,992.37. Following the transaction, the president directly owned 36,861 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,909,031.19. This trade represents a 65.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Brian T. Marley sold 10,432 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.25, for a total transaction of $555,504.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 32,607 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,736,322.75. This represents a 24.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 106,315 shares of company stock valued at $5,576,537. Company insiders own 4.08% of the company's stock.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Profile

Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. is a sporting goods and outdoor recreation retailer that sells products through its stores and e-commerce platform. Its merchandise includes sports and fitness equipment, outdoor and camping gear, hunting and fishing supplies, apparel, footwear and recreation products. The company serves customers primarily in the southern and eastern United States through a network of retail locations. Its stores offer products for a range of sports and outdoor activities, as well as items for everyday use.

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