Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) Stock Price Down 6.5% – What’s Next?

Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO)’s share price fell 6.5% during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $54.15 and last traded at $55.2450. 340,941 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 78% from the average session volume of 1,535,142 shares. The stock had previously closed at $59.07.

Academy Sports and Outdoors News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Academy Sports and Outdoors this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company issued a positive guidance update ahead of its Analyst Day, signaling management confidence in near?term sales/earnings cadence and supporting the stock’s resilience. Academy Sports and Outdoors issues a positive guidance update ahead of its Analyst Day event
• Positive Sentiment: Guggenheim raised its price target to $65 and kept a “buy” rating — the most bullish analyst move in the round of updates and a clear upside catalyst if other firms follow. Benzinga: Guggenheim raises target to $65
• Positive Sentiment: Investor/analyst?day materials and recent presentations (company slides and transcripts) outline strategic initiatives, margin levers and capital allocation that could support medium?term earnings power. These presentations give investors more detail to model improvements. Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (ASO) Analyst/Investor Day – Slideshow Analyst/Investor Day Transcript J.P. Morgan Retail Round Up Forum 2026 Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces highlight mixed analyst views and comparative peer analysis; these summaries underscore the split between more constructive bull cases and cautious peers but don’t change fundamentals directly. Analysts Have Conflicting Sentiments on These Consumer Cyclical Companies: Academy Sports and Outdoors (ASO) and DraftKings (DKNG)
• Neutral Sentiment: Independent write?ups comparing ASO with peers (e.g., American Outdoor Brands) provide context for valuation and margin expectations but are informational rather than catalytic. Analyzing Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) and American Outdoor Brands (NASDAQ:AOUT)
• Negative Sentiment: Barclays raised its target to $55 but kept an “equal weight” rating — the target implies limited upside vs. the current price and suggests cautious expectations from a major broker. Benzinga: Barclays raises target to $55 (equal weight)
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo bumped its target to $56 but maintained “equal weight,” signaling tepid conviction that shares will outperform from current levels. This contributed to downward pressure despite other positive signals. Benzinga: Wells Fargo raises target to $56 (equal weight)

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ASO has been the subject of a number of research reports. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $65.00 price target on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Academy Sports and Outdoors from $52.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $55.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $61.00 target price on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $60.00 to $56.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 18th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $58.43.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Trading Down 1.9%

The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $57.31 and a 200 day simple moving average of $53.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.55 billion, a PE ratio of 10.02, a P/E/G ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a current ratio of 1.89, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22.

Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 17th. The company reported $1.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.05 by ($0.08). Academy Sports and Outdoors had a return on equity of 17.88% and a net margin of 6.22%.The firm had revenue of $1.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.76 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.96 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Investors of record on Friday, March 20th will be given a dividend of $0.15 per share. This is a positive change from Academy Sports and Outdoors’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 20th. Academy Sports and Outdoors’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 10.79%.

Institutional Trading of Academy Sports and Outdoors

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Hsbc Holdings PLC boosted its position in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 239.4% during the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 19,525 shares of the company’s stock valued at $975,000 after acquiring an additional 13,773 shares during the last quarter. Villanova Investment Management Co LLC raised its holdings in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 12.2% in the fourth quarter. Villanova Investment Management Co LLC now owns 44,020 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,199,000 after buying an additional 4,790 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 128.2% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 833,769 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,655,000 after buying an additional 468,457 shares in the last quarter. XTX Topco Ltd grew its stake in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 1,676.0% in the fourth quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 77,912 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,892,000 after purchasing an additional 73,525 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Verdad Advisers LP purchased a new position in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors during the fourth quarter valued at $749,000.

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.