Buckle, Inc. (The) (NYSE:BKE) Shares Sold by Royce & Associates LP

Key Points

• Royce & Associates LP reduced its ownership of Buckle, Inc. by 4.2%, holding approximately 0.29% of the company worth $5.78 million after selling 6,684 shares.
• The company recently announced a $0.35 quarterly dividend, with a dividend yield of 2.85%, reflecting a dividend payout ratio of 35.99%.
• Analysts are showing positive sentiment, with Wall Street Zen upgrading Buckle from a "hold" to a "buy" rating, while UBS Group maintained a "neutral" rating.

Royce & Associates LP reduced its position in Buckle, Inc. (The) (NYSE:BKE - Free Report) by 4.2% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 150,774 shares of the company's stock after selling 6,684 shares during the period. Royce & Associates LP owned approximately 0.29% of Buckle worth $5,778,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Burney Co. lifted its position in Buckle by 6.1% during the 1st quarter. Burney Co. now owns 29,430 shares of the company's stock worth $1,128,000 after acquiring an additional 1,681 shares in the last quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH acquired a new position in Buckle during the 1st quarter worth approximately $380,000. Optimist Retirement Group LLC lifted its position in Buckle by 6.1% during the 1st quarter. Optimist Retirement Group LLC now owns 10,477 shares of the company's stock worth $401,000 after acquiring an additional 605 shares in the last quarter. Denali Advisors LLC lifted its position in Buckle by 19.2% during the 1st quarter. Denali Advisors LLC now owns 169,512 shares of the company's stock worth $6,496,000 after acquiring an additional 27,284 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC acquired a new position in Buckle during the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,569,000. 53.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Buckle Stock Down 1.1%

Shares of BKE traded down $0.57 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $49.51. The company's stock had a trading volume of 181,290 shares, compared to its average volume of 533,885. The company has a fifty day moving average of $45.27 and a two-hundred day moving average of $41.87. Buckle, Inc. has a twelve month low of $33.12 and a twelve month high of $54.25. The company has a market cap of $2.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.74 and a beta of 1.03.

Buckle (NYSE:BKE - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, May 23rd. The company reported $0.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.65 by $0.05. Buckle had a return on equity of 43.13% and a net margin of 15.95%. The company had revenue of $272.12 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $264.28 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.70 EPS. Buckle's quarterly revenue was up 3.7% on a year-over-year basis.

Buckle Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 29th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, July 15th will be given a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.83%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, July 15th. Buckle's payout ratio is 35.99%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BKE has been the topic of several recent research reports. Wall Street Zen raised Buckle from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 23rd. UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Buckle in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Dennis H. Nelson sold 20,453 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.52, for a total transaction of $890,114.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,655,204 shares in the company, valued at $72,034,478.08. This represents a 1.22% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director James E. Shada sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.84, for a total value of $498,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 85,352 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,253,943.68. The trade was a 10.49% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 105,046 shares of company stock valued at $4,377,425 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 39.80% of the company's stock.

About Buckle

The Buckle, Inc operates as a retailer of casual apparel, footwear, and accessories for young men and women in the United States. It markets a selection of brand name casual apparel, including denims, other casual bottoms, tops, sportswear, outerwear, accessories, and footwear, as well as private label merchandise primarily comprising BKE, Buckle Black, Salvage, Red by BKE, Daytrip, Gimmicks, Gilded Intent, FITZ + EDDI, Willow & Root, Outpost Makers, Departwest, Sterling & Stitch, Reclaim, BKE Vintage, Nova Industries, J.B.