StockNews.com Initiates Coverage on Big 5 Sporting Goods (NASDAQ:BGFV)

StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Big 5 Sporting Goods (NASDAQ:BGFV – Get Rating) in a research note published on Thursday. The brokerage issued a hold rating on the stock.

Separately, TheStreet downgraded shares of Big 5 Sporting Goods from a b- rating to a c rating in a report on Wednesday, March 1st.

Big 5 Sporting Goods Stock Down 4.2 %

BGFV stock opened at $7.53 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $167.02 million, a P/E ratio of 6.33 and a beta of 2.71. Big 5 Sporting Goods has a 52 week low of $7.47 and a 52 week high of $19.60. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $9.41 and its 200 day moving average price is $10.68. The company has a current ratio of 1.69, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03.

Big 5 Sporting Goods Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 24th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 10th will be issued a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 13.28%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 9th. Big 5 Sporting Goods’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 84.03%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Big 5 Sporting Goods

In other Big 5 Sporting Goods news, VP Shane O. Starr sold 5,250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $9.00, for a total value of $47,250.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 14,950 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $134,550. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 4.90% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Big 5 Sporting Goods

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Big 5 Sporting Goods by 2.0% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,102,764 shares of the company’s stock valued at $18,913,000 after buying an additional 21,192 shares during the period. State Street Corp lifted its stake in shares of Big 5 Sporting Goods by 6.2% during the first quarter. State Street Corp now owns 733,624 shares of the company’s stock valued at $12,582,000 after buying an additional 42,894 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Big 5 Sporting Goods by 59.0% during the second quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 459,766 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,154,000 after buying an additional 170,545 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its stake in shares of Big 5 Sporting Goods by 0.8% during the third quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 450,113 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,835,000 after buying an additional 3,688 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Big 5 Sporting Goods by 4.9% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 410,889 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,628,000 after buying an additional 19,136 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 45.98% of the company’s stock.

About Big 5 Sporting Goods

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Big 5 Sporting Goods Corp. operates as a holding company. The firm engages in the retail of sporting goods. Its products include athletic shoes, apparel and accessories, as well as outdoor and athletic equipment for team sports, fitness, camping, hunting, fishing, tennis, golf, winter and summer recreation and roller sports.