26,240 Shares in Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. $ASO Acquired by Villanova Investment Management Co LLC

Villanova Investment Management Co LLC purchased a new position in Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO) during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 26,240 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,197,000. Academy Sports and Outdoors comprises 3.4% of Villanova Investment Management Co LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 5th biggest holding.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 4.0% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,846,410 shares of the company’s stock worth $175,438,000 after purchasing an additional 147,395 shares in the last quarter. LSV Asset Management increased its stake in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 12.5% during the first quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 2,182,341 shares of the company’s stock valued at $99,537,000 after acquiring an additional 242,300 shares during the period. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 36.1% during the first quarter. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. now owns 1,992,997 shares of the company’s stock valued at $90,901,000 after purchasing an additional 528,367 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. raised its stake in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 33.7% in the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,675,428 shares of the company’s stock valued at $76,416,000 after buying an additional 422,729 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Royce & Associates LP raised its position in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 8.4% in the first quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 1,273,158 shares of the company’s stock worth $58,069,000 after purchasing an additional 98,582 shares in the last quarter.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Stock Performance

Shares of ASO stock opened at $48.21 on Thursday. Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. has a 52 week low of $33.34 and a 52 week high of $64.61. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $52.05 and a 200 day simple moving average of $46.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a current ratio of 1.64. The company has a market capitalization of $3.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.03, a PEG ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 1.30.

Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, June 10th. The company reported $0.76 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.89 by ($0.13). The firm had revenue of $1.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.38 billion. Academy Sports and Outdoors had a net margin of 6.21% and a return on equity of 18.47%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down .9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.08 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 9th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 11th will be paid a $0.13 dividend. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 11th. Academy Sports and Outdoors’s payout ratio is 9.74%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Christopher Lee Turner sold 4,400 shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.48, for a total value of $195,712.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 7,084 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $315,096.32. This trade represents a 38.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 3.62% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Citigroup downgraded shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their price target for the company from $55.00 to $50.00 in a report on Wednesday, September 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Academy Sports and Outdoors from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 3rd. Bank of America lowered their target price on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $60.00 to $55.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, June 11th. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed a “positive” rating on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research note on Wednesday, September 3rd. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $65.00 price objective on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research note on Tuesday, September 2nd. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $58.78.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Profile

Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates as a sporting goods and outdoor recreational retailer in the United States. The company outdoor division comprises camping products, such as coolers and drinkware, and camping accessories and equipment,; fishing products, including marine equipment and fishing rods, reels, and baits and equipment; and hunting products, which includes firearms, ammunition, archery and archery equipment, camouflage apparel, waders, shooting accessories, gun safes, optics, airguns, and hunting equipment.