Ruffer LLP Boosts Holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO)

Key Points

• Ruffer LLP increased its holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 20%, acquiring an additional 12,749 shares, and now holds approximately 0.12% of the company worth $3,495,000.
• Recent research reports present mixed ratings, with eight analysts providing a "hold" rating and eight a "buy" rating, while the average target price is set at $57.06.
• Academy Sports and Outdoors reported earnings of $0.76 per share for the last quarter, below analyst expectations, alongside a revenue decrease of 0.9% year-over-year.

Ruffer LLP boosted its holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO - Free Report) by 20.0% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 76,637 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 12,749 shares during the period. Ruffer LLP owned about 0.12% of Academy Sports and Outdoors worth $3,495,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Hood River Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors during the 4th quarter worth $42,320,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 12.3% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,699,015 shares of the company's stock worth $212,807,000 after acquiring an additional 404,863 shares in the last quarter. LSV Asset Management boosted its holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 12.5% in the first quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 2,182,341 shares of the company's stock worth $99,537,000 after acquiring an additional 242,300 shares in the last quarter. Jump Financial LLC purchased a new position in Academy Sports and Outdoors in the fourth quarter worth about $9,947,000. Finally, Shellback Capital LP bought a new stake in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in the 4th quarter worth $9,349,000.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Stock Performance

ASO traded up $0.83 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $51.71. 671,902 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,484,978. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 1.52 and a quick ratio of 0.29. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $47.94 and its 200-day simple moving average is $46.45. Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. has a 1 year low of $33.34 and a 1 year high of $64.61. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 1.30.

Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, June 10th. The company reported $0.76 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.89 by ($0.13). Academy Sports and Outdoors had a net margin of 6.55% and a return on equity of 19.62%. The business had revenue of $1.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.38 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.08 earnings per share. Academy Sports and Outdoors's revenue was down .9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 17th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 19th were given a dividend of $0.13 per share. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, June 18th. Academy Sports and Outdoors's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 9.56%.

Insider Transactions at Academy Sports and Outdoors

In other Academy Sports and Outdoors news, Director Christopher Lee Turner sold 4,400 shares of the business'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 sale, the director owned 7,084 shares of the company's stock, valued at $315,096.32. The trade was a 38.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Insiders own 3.62% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on ASO. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Academy Sports and Outdoors from $38.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 14th. Citigroup cut their target price on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $60.00 to $55.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 4th. Monness Crespi & Hardt started coverage on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research report on Monday. They set a "buy" rating and a $65.00 price objective for the company. Telsey Advisory Group increased their price objective on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $58.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 24th. Finally, UBS Group decreased their price objective on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $54.00 to $48.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, June 4th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $57.53.

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.