Smith & Wesson Brands (NASDAQ:SWBI) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Smith & Wesson Brands (NASDAQ:SWBI) has been upgraded by Wall Street Zen from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating, indicating a more favorable outlook on the stock.
• Analysts have mixed opinions on the stock, with a current average rating of "hold" and a consensus target price of $12.00.
• The company reported earnings of ($0.08) per share for the last quarter, exceeding consensus estimates, but saw a 3.7% year-over-year decline in revenue.

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Smith & Wesson Brands (NASDAQ:SWBI - Free Report) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note published on Friday morning.

A number of other equities analysts have also issued reports on the company. Zacks Research raised Smith & Wesson Brands from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 26th. Lake Street Capital decreased their price target on Smith & Wesson Brands from $12.50 to $11.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, June 23rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Smith & Wesson Brands has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $12.00.

Smith & Wesson Brands Stock Performance

SWBI stock traded down $0.14 on Friday, reaching $8.67. The company's stock had a trading volume of 381,730 shares, compared to its average volume of 643,119. Smith & Wesson Brands has a 52 week low of $7.73 and a 52 week high of $14.20. The company has a market capitalization of $384.22 million, a P/E ratio of 36.10 and a beta of 0.95. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $8.25 and a two-hundred day moving average of $9.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 5.21 and a quick ratio of 1.37.

Smith & Wesson Brands (NASDAQ:SWBI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, September 4th. The company reported ($0.08) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.12) by $0.04. Smith & Wesson Brands had a return on equity of 3.10% and a net margin of 2.34%.The business had revenue of $85.08 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $79.23 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted ($0.02) EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Smith & Wesson Brands will post 0.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Smith & Wesson Brands Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 2nd. Investors of record on Thursday, September 18th will be given a $0.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 18th. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.0%. Smith & Wesson Brands's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 216.67%.

Institutional Trading of Smith & Wesson Brands

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of SWBI. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Smith & Wesson Brands by 41.4% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 712,708 shares of the company's stock worth $6,642,000 after buying an additional 208,739 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Smith & Wesson Brands in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $2,049,000. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new position in Smith & Wesson Brands in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,213,000. Nuveen LLC acquired a new position in Smith & Wesson Brands in the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,199,000. Finally, Lesa Sroufe & Co purchased a new position in Smith & Wesson Brands during the 1st quarter worth approximately $735,000. 59.33% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Smith & Wesson Brands

Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the manufacture, design, and provision of firearms. Its portfolio includes handguns, long guns, handcuffs, suppressor, and other firearm-related products. The firm's brands are Smith & Wesson, M&P, Thompson/Center Arms, and Gemtech.