Unison Advisors LLC Takes $743,000 Position in Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. $ASO

Unison Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 14,825 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $743,000.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of ASO. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 1.2% in the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,879,904 shares of the company’s stock valued at $194,077,000 after purchasing an additional 46,305 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. raised its stake in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 6.1% during the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 2,176,853 shares of the company’s stock worth $108,886,000 after buying an additional 125,398 shares during the period. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 5.9% during the 2nd quarter. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. now owns 2,110,172 shares of the company’s stock valued at $94,557,000 after buying an additional 117,175 shares in the last quarter. Royce & Associates LP grew its stake in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 4.3% in the 3rd quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 1,329,347 shares of the company’s stock valued at $66,494,000 after acquiring an additional 55,210 shares during the period. Finally, Boston Partners grew its stake in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 85.5% in the 3rd quarter. Boston Partners now owns 1,302,141 shares of the company’s stock valued at $65,416,000 after acquiring an additional 600,335 shares during the period.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on ASO shares. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $57.00 to $52.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 18th. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $59.00 to $49.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 18th. Telsey Advisory Group restated 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. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $61.00 price target on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a report on Monday, December 29th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $57.36.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ ASO opened at $57.35 on Monday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $57.15 and a 200-day simple moving average of $52.98. The company has a quick ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 1.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 1.21. Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. has a 52 week low of $33.34 and a 52 week high of $62.44.

Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 17th. The company reported $1.97 earnings per share 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 business had revenue of $1.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.76 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.96 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict 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. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 20th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. This is an increase from Academy Sports and Outdoors’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. Academy Sports and Outdoors’s payout ratio is presently 10.79%.

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.