Insider Selling: Buckle (NYSE:BKE) EVP Sells $56,783.40 in Stock

Buckle, Inc. (The) (NYSE:BKE) EVP Kari Smith sold 1,140 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.81, for a total value of $56,783.40. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 125,614 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,256,833.34. This represents a 0.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Buckle Stock Up 0.9%

Shares of NYSE:BKE opened at $49.55 on Friday. Buckle, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $33.12 and a fifty-two week high of $61.69. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $51.90 and its 200 day moving average price is $54.94. The stock has a market cap of $2.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.97 and a beta of 1.17.

Buckle (NYSE:BKE) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, March 13th. The company reported $1.59 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.51 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $399.14 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $396.45 million. Buckle had a net margin of 16.16% and a return on equity of 45.18%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.53 EPS.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently commented on BKE shares. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Buckle from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 7th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Buckle in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, UBS Group dropped their price objective on Buckle from $55.00 to $53.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $53.00.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Buckle

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in BKE. Amundi raised its holdings in shares of Buckle by 676.9% in the fourth quarter. Amundi now owns 421,200 shares of the company’s stock valued at $22,501,000 after buying an additional 366,986 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its stake in Buckle by 44.9% during the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,043,548 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,746,000 after acquiring an additional 323,361 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley lifted its position in Buckle by 26.8% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 1,244,389 shares of the company’s stock worth $66,475,000 after acquiring an additional 263,338 shares during the period. Two Sigma Investments LP grew its stake in shares of Buckle by 3,695.1% in the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 242,510 shares of the company’s stock valued at $14,226,000 after purchasing an additional 236,120 shares during the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in shares of Buckle by 376.3% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 288,920 shares of the company’s stock valued at $16,948,000 after purchasing an additional 228,260 shares during the period. 53.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Buckle

Buckle, Inc is a retailer specializing in casual apparel, footwear and accessories for young men and women. The company is known for its denim-focused collections, offering both private-label lines and curated brand-name merchandise. Its product assortment includes jeans, tops, outerwear, shoes and a variety of accessories such as belts, jewelry and handbags, all aimed at blending contemporary style with everyday comfort.

Founded in 1948 in Kearney, Nebraska, Buckle began as a single clothing store and has since expanded into a nationwide chain.