Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) Hits New 12-Month High – Should You Buy?

Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $60.55 and last traded at $60.3040, with a volume of 98476 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $59.46.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently commented on ASO shares. UBS Group raised their target price on Academy Sports and Outdoors from $52.00 to $54.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $52.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $51.00 to $59.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Truist Financial set a $59.00 price target on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $59.89.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Price Performance

The stock has a 50 day moving average of $54.80 and a two-hundred day moving average of $51.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a current ratio of 1.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.57, a P/E/G ratio of 1.00 and a beta of 1.26.

Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, December 9th. The company reported $1.14 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.06 by $0.08. Academy Sports and Outdoors had a return on equity of 18.24% and a net margin of 6.27%.The company had revenue of $1.38 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.41 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.98 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Academy Sports and Outdoors has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.650-6.150 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 18th were issued a dividend of $0.13 per share. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, December 18th. Academy Sports and Outdoors’s dividend payout ratio is 9.51%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Brian T. Marley sold 3,500 shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.01, for a total value of $192,535.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 39,107 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,151,276.07. The trade was a 8.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 3.62% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Salomon & Ludwin LLC boosted its position in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 139.8% in the fourth quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 482 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 281 shares during the period. Huntington National Bank raised its stake in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 214.6% during the 2nd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 689 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 470 shares during the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 32.6% in the 3rd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,025 shares of the company’s stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 252 shares during the period. Bayforest Capital Ltd acquired a new stake in Academy Sports and Outdoors in the 4th quarter worth $51,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its position in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 117.8% in the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,113 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 602 shares during the last quarter.

About Academy Sports and Outdoors

Academy Sports and Outdoors is a leading specialty retailer of sporting goods and outdoor gear, operating more than 260 stores across the United States. Headquartered in Katy, Texas, the company offers a broad assortment of merchandise spanning athletic footwear and apparel, team sports equipment, camping and outdoor recreation products, hunting and fishing supplies, and fitness accessories. In addition to its brick-and-mortar footprint, Academy serves customers through its e-commerce platform, offering online ordering, in-store pickup, and home delivery options.

The company’s product portfolio includes seasonal and year-round categories designed to meet the needs of both casual enthusiasts and serious athletes.