The Buckle, Inc. (NYSE:BKE) Short Interest Down 20.3% in March

The Buckle, Inc. (NYSE:BKE - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 2,350,000 shares, a decline of 20.3% from the March 15th total of 2,950,000 shares. Approximately 7.6% of the company's stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 604,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.9 days.

Buckle Stock Performance

Shares of Buckle stock traded down $0.31 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $34.78. 175,577 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 451,195. The company has a market cap of $1.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.84 and a beta of 0.91. Buckle has a 52 week low of $33.12 and a 52 week high of $54.25. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $37.51 and its 200 day simple moving average is $44.22.

Buckle (NYSE:BKE - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, March 14th. The company reported $1.53 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.44 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $379.20 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $378.97 million. Buckle had a return on equity of 44.11% and a net margin of 16.21%. The business's revenue was down .8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.59 earnings per share.

Buckle Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 29th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 15th will be given a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.02%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 15th. Buckle's dividend payout ratio is 36.08%.

Insider Activity at Buckle

In other Buckle news, CEO Dennis H. Nelson sold 20,453 shares of Buckle stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.86, for a total transaction of $835,709.58. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 1,678,375 shares of the company's stock, valued at $68,578,402.50. This trade represents a 1.20 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 73,906 shares of company stock valued at $2,971,250. Corporate insiders own 39.80% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Buckle

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of BKE. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in Buckle during the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Caption Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Buckle during the 4th quarter worth about $36,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Buckle by 268.3% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 825 shares of the company's stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 601 shares during the last quarter. Bellwether Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Buckle during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $43,000. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. grew its holdings in Buckle by 74.1% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,374 shares of the company's stock valued at $70,000 after buying an additional 585 shares during the last quarter. 53.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have commented on BKE shares. StockNews.com downgraded Buckle from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. UBS Group lowered their price target on Buckle from $43.00 to $41.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 18th.

Buckle Company Profile

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.