Rehmann Capital Advisory Group Invests $4.73 Million in Escalade, Incorporated (NASDAQ:ESCA)

Rehmann Capital Advisory Group purchased a new position in Escalade, Incorporated (NASDAQ:ESCA) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 309,213 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,731,000. Rehmann Capital Advisory Group owned 2.26% of Escalade as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its stake in shares of Escalade by 6.9% in the fourth quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 12,430 shares of the company’s stock valued at $178,000 after buying an additional 800 shares in the last quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN lifted its position in shares of Escalade by 22.9% during the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 6,870 shares of the company’s stock valued at $98,000 after purchasing an additional 1,278 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its holdings in Escalade by 250.4% during the fourth quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,288 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 1,635 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC increased its holdings in Escalade by 14.1% during the fourth quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 15,041 shares of the company’s stock worth $214,000 after buying an additional 1,856 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Escalade by 8.4% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 28,786 shares of the company’s stock worth $411,000 after buying an additional 2,221 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.22% of the company’s stock.

Escalade Price Performance

ESCA stock opened at $14.40 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10, a current ratio of 4.05 and a quick ratio of 1.67. Escalade, Incorporated has a one year low of $12.54 and a one year high of $16.99. The stock has a market cap of $198.53 million, a PE ratio of 14.69 and a beta of 0.77. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $14.56 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $14.84.

Escalade (NASDAQ:ESCA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 5th. The company reported $0.19 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.13 by $0.06. Escalade had a net margin of 5.54% and a return on equity of 7.49%. The firm had revenue of $55.48 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $54.44 million. On average, analysts predict that Escalade, Incorporated will post 0.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Escalade Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 14th. Investors of record on Monday, July 7th will be issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 7th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.17%. Escalade’s dividend payout ratio is currently 61.22%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Escalade news, CFO Stephen Wawrin sold 2,177 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $15.16, for a total value of $33,003.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 43,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $651,880. This represents a 4.82% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 28.75% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Escalade from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 16th.

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.