JPMorgan Chase & Co. Purchases 228,260 Shares of Buckle, Inc. (The) $BKE

JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position in Buckle, Inc. (The) (NYSE:BKE) by 376.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 288,920 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 228,260 shares during the quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s holdings in Buckle were worth $16,948,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Buckle by 1,928.1% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 649 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 617 shares during the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its holdings in Buckle by 81.6% in the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 463 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 208 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Buckle by 162.2% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 957 shares of the company’s stock valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 592 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in Buckle during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $65,000. Finally, Quadrant Capital Group LLC bought a new stake in Buckle during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $74,000. 53.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Kari G. Smith sold 48,860 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.39, for a total value of $2,462,055.40. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 76,754 shares in the company, valued at $3,867,634.06. The trade was a 38.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Michelle Hoffman sold 29,281 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.12, for a total transaction of $1,438,282.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 45,882 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,253,723.84. The trade was a 38.96% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 80,000 shares of company stock valued at $3,993,072 in the last three months. 39.00% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of Buckle from $55.00 to $53.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 16th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Buckle from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Buckle from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday, March 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $53.00.

Buckle Price Performance

Buckle stock opened at $50.74 on Thursday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $51.46 and its 200 day moving average is $54.69. Buckle, Inc. has a one year low of $33.12 and a one year high of $61.69. The firm has a market cap of $2.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.26 and a beta of 1.17.

Buckle (NYSE:BKE) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, March 13th. The company reported $1.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.51 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $399.14 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $396.45 million. Buckle had a net margin of 16.16% and a return on equity of 45.18%. The company’s revenue was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.53 EPS.

Buckle Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 29th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 15th. Buckle’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 33.82%.

Buckle Profile

Buckle, Inc is a retailer specializing in casual apparel, footwear and accessories for young men and women. The company is known for its denim-focused collections, offering both private-label lines and curated brand-name merchandise. Its product assortment includes jeans, tops, outerwear, shoes and a variety of accessories such as belts, jewelry and handbags, all aimed at blending contemporary style with everyday comfort.

Founded in 1948 in Kearney, Nebraska, Buckle began as a single clothing store and has since expanded into a nationwide chain.