Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) Sets New 52-Week High - Time to Buy?

Key Points

• Academy Sports and Outdoors shares reached a new 52-week high of $62.51, up from a prior close of $59.20. Wall Street’s consensus rating is “Moderate Buy,” with an average price target of $58.54.
• The company exceeded quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $2.31 EPS versus the $2.07 consensus, while revenue rose 3% year over year to $1.65 billion. Management issued fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $6.50–$6.90.
• Academy declared a quarterly dividend of $0.15, equivalent to a 1.0% annual yield, while insiders sold about $5.6 million in stock over the past 90 days; major institutions, including BlackRock, also established new positions.

Shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO - Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Monday. The stock traded as high as $62.51 and last traded at $62.2130, with a volume of 448,200 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $59.20.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on ASO shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, September 10th. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $50.00 to $53.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, September 10th. BMO Capital Markets set a $42.00 target price on Academy Sports and Outdoors and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Telsey Advisory Group lifted their price objective on Academy Sports and Outdoors from $60.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price objective on Academy Sports and Outdoors from $55.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $58.54.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Price Performance

The company's 50 day moving average price is $51.36 and its 200-day moving average price is $52.81. The company has a market cap of $3.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.36, a PEG ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a current ratio of 1.74.

Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, September 9th. The company reported $2.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.07 by $0.24. Academy Sports and Outdoors had a net margin of 6.39% and a return on equity of 18.36%. The company had revenue of $1.65 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.65 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.94 EPS. The company's revenue was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. Academy Sports and Outdoors has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.500-6.900 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. will post 6.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 14th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 16th were paid a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, September 16th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Academy Sports and Outdoors's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 10.00%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Brian Marley sold 10,432 shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $53.25, for a total value of $555,504.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 32,607 shares in the company, valued at $1,736,322.75. This trade represents a 24.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, President Samuel J. Johnson sold 70,303 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.79, for a total value of $3,640,992.37. Following the completion of the transaction, the president owned 36,861 shares in the company, valued at $1,909,031.19. This represents a 65.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 106,315 shares of company stock valued at $5,576,537. 4.08% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in Academy Sports and Outdoors in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $468,146,000. Fund 1 Investments LLC bought a new stake in Academy Sports and Outdoors during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,414,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new stake in Academy Sports and Outdoors in the second quarter valued at $2,209,000. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new position in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors during the second quarter worth about $20,434,000. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc bought a new position in Academy Sports and Outdoors during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $7,427,000.

About Academy Sports and Outdoors

Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc is a sporting goods and outdoor recreation retailer headquartered in Katy, Texas. The company operates stores and an e-commerce platform serving customers primarily across the southern, southeastern and midwestern United States.

Academy sells a broad selection of sports equipment, apparel and footwear, as well as products for hunting, fishing, camping, boating, fitness and outdoor recreation. Its merchandise also includes seasonal products, patio and recreation items, and equipment for team sports.

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