The Buckle, Inc. (NYSE:BKE) Short Interest Down 6.1% in April

The Buckle, Inc. (NYSE:BKE - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest during the month of April. As of April 30th, there was short interest totalling 3,240,000 shares, a decline of 6.1% from the April 15th total of 3,450,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 365,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 8.9 days. Currently, 10.7% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. UBS Group dropped their target price on shares of Buckle from $34.00 to $32.00 and set a "sell" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Buckle from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 15th.

Buckle Trading Down 0.6 %

Shares of BKE stock traded down $0.21 during trading on Friday, reaching $36.96. 216,953 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 425,223. The company has a market capitalization of $1.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.43 and a beta of 1.24. The firm's 50-day moving average is $38.10 and its 200 day moving average is $39.24. Buckle has a 1 year low of $30.18 and a 1 year high of $48.15.

Buckle (NYSE:BKE - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, March 15th. The company reported $1.59 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.44 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $382.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $383.63 million. Buckle had a net margin of 17.44% and a return on equity of 50.88%. Buckle's revenue was down 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.76 EPS.

Buckle Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 26th. Investors of record on Friday, April 12th were paid a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.79%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 11th. Buckle's payout ratio is currently 31.75%.

Institutional Trading of Buckle

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. TFO Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in Buckle by 60,000.0% in the 4th quarter. TFO Wealth Partners LLC now owns 601 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 600 shares in the last quarter. Gladius Capital Management LP lifted its stake in Buckle by 408.3% in the 3rd quarter. Gladius Capital Management LP now owns 981 shares of the company's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 788 shares in the last quarter. Planned Solutions Inc. purchased a new stake in Buckle in the 4th quarter worth approximately $44,000. Quadrant Capital Group LLC lifted its stake in Buckle by 527.4% in the 4th quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 985 shares of the company's stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 828 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC lifted its stake in Buckle by 321.2% in the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,112 shares of the company's stock worth $53,000 after purchasing an additional 848 shares in the last quarter. 53.93% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.

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