Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) Hits New 1-Year High – Here’s Why

Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday. The stock traded as high as $70.70 and last traded at $70.1860, with a volume of 91,161 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $67.26.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have commented on ASO shares. BMO Capital Markets set a $42.00 price target on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $50.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 3rd. Telsey Advisory Group raised their target price on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $60.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Academy Sports and Outdoors from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, September 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Academy Sports and Outdoors currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $58.54.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Stock Up 4.9%

The company has a current ratio of 1.74, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. The stock has a market cap of $4.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.79, a PEG ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 0.94. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $53.43 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $53.01.

Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, September 9th. The company reported $2.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.07 by $0.24. Academy Sports and Outdoors had a net margin of 6.39% and a return on equity of 18.36%. The company had revenue of $1.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.65 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.94 earnings per share. Academy Sports and Outdoors’s quarterly revenue was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. Academy Sports and Outdoors has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.500-6.900 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. will post 6.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 14th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 16th were given a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, September 16th. Academy Sports and Outdoors’s dividend payout ratio is presently 10.00%.

Insider Activity at Academy Sports and Outdoors

In other news, President Samuel J. Johnson sold 70,303 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.79, for a total transaction of $3,640,992.37. Following the transaction, the president directly owned 36,861 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,909,031.19. This trade represents a 65.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Brian Marley sold 10,432 shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.25, for a total transaction of $555,504.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 32,607 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,736,322.75. The trade was a 24.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 106,315 shares of company stock worth $5,576,537 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 4.08% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Academy Sports and Outdoors

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC increased its position in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 3.1% during the 3rd quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,804 shares of the company’s stock worth $327,000 after purchasing an additional 202 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 52.1% in the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 736 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 252 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 38.9% in the first quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 921 shares of the company’s stock valued at $52,000 after buying an additional 258 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 6.1% in the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 5,045 shares of the company’s stock valued at $243,000 after buying an additional 291 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State of Wyoming boosted its position in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 28.3% in the third quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 1,489 shares of the company’s stock valued at $72,000 after buying an additional 328 shares in the last quarter.

About Academy Sports and Outdoors

Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc is a sporting goods and outdoor recreation retailer that sells products through its stores and e-commerce platform. Its merchandise includes sports and fitness equipment, outdoor and camping gear, hunting and fishing supplies, apparel, footwear and recreation products.

The company serves customers primarily in the southern and eastern United States through a network of retail locations. Its stores offer products for a range of sports and outdoor activities, as well as items for everyday use.

Founded in 1938, Academy began as a family-owned business in Texas and grew into a regional sporting goods retailer.