Escalade, Incorporated (NASDAQ:ESCA) Short Interest Update

Escalade, Incorporated (NASDAQ:ESCA) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 95,900 shares, an increase of 28.2% from the March 31st total of 74,800 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 19,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 5.0 days. Currently, 1.1% of the company’s stock are short sold.

Institutional Trading of Escalade

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Barclays PLC acquired a new position in Escalade in the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. Denali Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Escalade in the third quarter valued at approximately $47,000. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new position in shares of Escalade during the 4th quarter worth approximately $118,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Escalade by 40.6% during the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 7,037 shares of the company’s stock valued at $141,000 after buying an additional 2,033 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arete Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Escalade in the 3rd quarter valued at $291,000. 65.22% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Escalade Price Performance

NASDAQ:ESCA opened at $13.11 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $181.70 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.41 and a beta of 1.21. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $13.83 and its two-hundred day moving average is $16.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a quick ratio of 1.63 and a current ratio of 4.44. Escalade has a one year low of $11.42 and a one year high of $22.01.

Escalade (NASDAQ:ESCA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, March 29th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter. Escalade had a return on equity of 7.74% and a net margin of 4.76%. The company had revenue of $65.51 million during the quarter. Research analysts expect that Escalade will post 1.29 EPS for the current year.

Escalade Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 8th will be issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.58%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 8th. Escalade’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 65.93%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded Escalade from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 23rd.

Escalade Company Profile

Escalade, Incorporated, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, distributes, imports, and sells sporting goods in North America, Europe, and internationally. The company provides various sporting goods brands in basketball goals, archery, indoor and outdoor game recreation, and fitness products.