Escalade (NASDAQ:ESCA) Stock Rating Upgraded by StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Escalade (NASDAQ:ESCA) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report released on Monday morning.

Escalade Price Performance

Shares of Escalade stock opened at $13.73 on Monday. Escalade has a 1-year low of $11.42 and a 1-year high of $22.01. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $14.21 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $16.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $190.30 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.34 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a current ratio of 4.41, a quick ratio of 1.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27.

Escalade Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 22nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 15th will be given a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 12th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.37%. Escalade’s payout ratio is 84.51%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Escalade

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Escalade by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 495,376 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,952,000 after purchasing an additional 4,795 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC lifted its holdings in Escalade by 579.7% in the fourth quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 13,771 shares of the company’s stock valued at $277,000 after buying an additional 11,745 shares during the period. Nuveen Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Escalade by 12.5% in the fourth quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 14,629 shares of the company’s stock valued at $294,000 after buying an additional 1,627 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its holdings in Escalade by 3.6% in the fourth quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 30,279 shares of the company’s stock valued at $608,000 after buying an additional 1,044 shares during the period. Finally, Northern Trust Corp lifted its holdings in Escalade by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 91,685 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,842,000 after buying an additional 1,157 shares during the period. 65.22% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Escalade

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.