Baird Financial Group Inc. Acquires 9,282 Shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. $ASO

Key Points

• Baird Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 3.7%, owning approximately 263,487 shares valued at $12 million.
• Academy Sports and Outdoors reported earnings per share of $0.76 for the last quarter, missing expectations by $0.13, and projected FY 2025 guidance between 5.450-6.25 EPS.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.13 per share, contributing to an annualized dividend yield of 1.1% with a payout ratio of 9.56%.

Baird Financial Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO - Free Report) by 3.7% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 263,487 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 9,282 shares during the quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. owned 0.40% of Academy Sports and Outdoors worth $12,018,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ASO. Northern Trust Corp increased its position in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 6.8% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 774,911 shares of the company's stock worth $44,581,000 after buying an additional 49,106 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 6.1% in the fourth quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 114,182 shares of the company's stock worth $6,569,000 after buying an additional 6,516 shares during the period. AXA S.A. increased its position in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 97,889 shares of the company's stock worth $5,632,000 after buying an additional 1,721 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets acquired a new stake in Academy Sports and Outdoors in the fourth quarter worth $6,314,000. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors increased its holdings in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 37.4% during the fourth quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 22,279 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,282,000 after purchasing an additional 6,059 shares during the period.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Stock Up 1.6%

Shares of ASO traded up $0.82 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $50.86. 1,360,622 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,558,572. Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. has a 12-month low of $33.34 and a 12-month high of $64.61. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $51.89 and a 200-day simple moving average of $46.30. The company has a quick ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. The company has a market cap of $3.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.52, a P/E/G ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.30.

Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, June 10th. The company reported $0.76 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.89 by ($0.13). Academy Sports and Outdoors had a return on equity of 18.47% and a net margin of 6.21%.The firm had revenue of $1.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.38 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.08 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down .9% on a year-over-year basis. Academy Sports and Outdoors has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.450-6.25 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 9th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 11th will be paid a dividend of $0.13 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 11th. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Academy Sports and Outdoors's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 9.74%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $65.00 price target on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a report on Tuesday, September 2nd. Monness Crespi & Hardt assumed coverage on Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research report on Monday, August 4th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $65.00 price target for the company. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated a "positive" rating on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research report on Wednesday. Loop Capital set a $65.00 price target on Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research report on Monday, July 21st. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $52.00 price target on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research report on Sunday, August 31st. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Academy Sports and Outdoors currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $58.71.

Insider Buying and Selling at Academy Sports and Outdoors

In related news, Director Christopher Lee Turner sold 4,400 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.48, for a total value of $195,712.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 7,084 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $315,096.32. This trade represents a 38.31% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 3.62% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About Academy Sports and Outdoors

Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates as a sporting goods and outdoor recreational retailer in the United States. The company outdoor division comprises camping products, such as coolers and drinkware, and camping accessories and equipment,; fishing products, including marine equipment and fishing rods, reels, and baits and equipment; and hunting products, which includes firearms, ammunition, archery and archery equipment, camouflage apparel, waders, shooting accessories, gun safes, optics, airguns, and hunting equipment.