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 report report published on Friday morning.

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

Smith & Wesson Brands Stock Performance

Smith & Wesson Brands stock remained flat at $9.39 during midday trading on Friday. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,673,529 shares, compared to its average volume of 964,814. Smith & Wesson Brands has a 1 year low of $7.73 and a 1 year high of $14.20. The company has a current ratio of 5.21, a quick ratio of 1.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The firm's 50 day moving average is $8.26 and its 200-day moving average is $9.14. The firm has a market cap of $416.35 million, a PE ratio of 39.13 and a beta of 0.95.

Smith & Wesson Brands (NASDAQ:SWBI - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, September 4th. The company reported ($0.08) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 firm had revenue of $85.08 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $79.23 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted ($0.02) earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 3.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that Smith & Wesson Brands will post 0.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Smith & Wesson Brands Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 2nd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 18th will be issued a dividend of $0.13 per share. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.5%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 18th. Smith & Wesson Brands's payout ratio is 216.67%.

Institutional Trading of Smith & Wesson Brands

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its holdings in Smith & Wesson Brands by 34.2% during the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 102,441 shares of the company's stock worth $1,035,000 after purchasing an additional 26,086 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC bought a new position in Smith & Wesson Brands during the 4th quarter worth approximately $501,000. Teacher Retirement System of Texas raised its holdings in Smith & Wesson Brands by 43.2% during the 1st quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 89,197 shares of the company's stock worth $831,000 after purchasing an additional 26,901 shares during the last quarter. Nuveen LLC bought a new position in Smith & Wesson Brands during the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,199,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Smith & Wesson Brands by 2.4% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,608,677 shares of the company's stock worth $24,313,000 after purchasing an additional 62,173 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 59.33% of the company's stock.

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.