Heartland Advisors Inc. Purchases 51,630 Shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. $ASO

Heartland Advisors Inc. lifted its position in Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO - Free Report) by 18.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 325,247 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 51,630 shares during the quarter. Academy Sports and Outdoors accounts for 0.9% of Heartland Advisors Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 29th largest position. Heartland Advisors Inc. owned about 0.49% of Academy Sports and Outdoors worth $16,249,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Citigroup Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 105.8% in the 3rd quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 162,571 shares of the company's stock worth $8,132,000 after buying an additional 83,572 shares in the last quarter. Junto Capital Management LP bought a new position in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $36,567,000. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its stake in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 9,627.2% in the 3rd quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 58,363 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,919,000 after buying an additional 57,763 shares in the last quarter. King Luther Capital Management Corp grew its position in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 12.6% in the fourth quarter. King Luther Capital Management Corp now owns 1,573,073 shares of the company's stock valued at $78,591,000 after acquiring an additional 176,463 shares during the period. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. grew its position in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 6.1% in the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 2,176,853 shares of the company's stock valued at $108,886,000 after acquiring an additional 125,398 shares during the period.

Trending Headlines about Academy Sports and Outdoors

Here are the key news stories impacting Academy Sports and Outdoors this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Academy Sports reported Q1 adjusted EPS of $0.93, topping estimates, while revenue of $1.44 billion matched expectations and rose 6.7% year over year. Comparable sales increased 2.9%, e-commerce sales climbed 17.4%, and the company said traffic and average ticket both improved. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised FY2026 guidance, signaling management expects momentum to continue after the strong quarter. The outlook helped support the bull case after the earnings release. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Several recap articles and transcript/presentation links highlight investor focus on the Q1 call, including the company’s expansion plans, new-store openings, and continued e-commerce growth. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts were mixed-to-cautious, with JPMorgan cutting its price target to $59 from $60 and Truist lowering its target to $52 from $54, while keeping neutral/hold views. Those moves suggest the market is still debating how much upside remains after the rally on earnings. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Management also warned that consumers may remain squeezed through 2026, with lower-income demand and higher gas prices cited as risks. That caution is tempering enthusiasm for the stronger quarter and guidance raise. Article Title

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have issued reports on ASO shares. Barclays lifted their price objective on Academy Sports and Outdoors from $49.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Guggenheim increased their target price on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Wells Fargo & Company reissued a "hold" rating on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a report on Wednesday. Telsey Advisory Group restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $65.00 price target on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Finally, Truist Financial dropped their price objective on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $54.00 to $52.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $59.25.

Insider Transactions at Academy Sports and Outdoors

In other Academy Sports and Outdoors news, Director Jeffrey C. Tweedy sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.00, for a total value of $240,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 7,835 shares in the company, valued at approximately $470,100. This trade represents a 33.80% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 3.62% of the company's stock.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Trading Down 1.0%

ASO opened at $49.88 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.22 billion, a PE ratio of 8.78, a PEG ratio of 0.78 and a beta of 1.04. Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. has a 1-year low of $41.29 and a 1-year high of $62.44. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $54.25 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $54.70.

Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, June 9th. The company reported $0.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.91 by $0.02. Academy Sports and Outdoors had a net margin of 6.24% and a return on equity of 17.85%. The company had revenue of $1.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.44 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.76 earnings per share. Academy Sports and Outdoors's quarterly revenue was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. Academy Sports and Outdoors has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.400-6.800 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. will post 5.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 16th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 18th will be issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 18th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. Academy Sports and Outdoors's dividend payout ratio is currently 10.79%.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Profile

Academy Sports and Outdoors is a leading specialty retailer of sporting goods and outdoor gear, operating more than 260 stores across the United States. Headquartered in Katy, Texas, the company offers a broad assortment of merchandise spanning athletic footwear and apparel, team sports equipment, camping and outdoor recreation products, hunting and fishing supplies, and fitness accessories. In addition to its brick-and-mortar footprint, Academy serves customers through its e-commerce platform, offering online ordering, in-store pickup, and home delivery options.

The company's product portfolio includes seasonal and year-round categories designed to meet the needs of both casual enthusiasts and serious athletes.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ASO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.