Stephens Investment Management Group LLC Grows Position in Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. $ASO

Stephens Investment Management Group LLC increased its position in Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO) by 4.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,235,440 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 57,922 shares during the quarter. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC owned 1.85% of Academy Sports and Outdoors worth $61,797,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in ASO. LSV Asset Management increased its position in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 43.0% in the second quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 3,119,790 shares of the company’s stock valued at $139,798,000 after acquiring an additional 937,449 shares during the period. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 5.9% in the second quarter. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. now owns 2,110,172 shares of the company’s stock worth $94,557,000 after purchasing an additional 117,175 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. increased its holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 22.4% during the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 2,051,455 shares of the company’s stock valued at $91,926,000 after purchasing an additional 376,027 shares during the period. William Blair Investment Management LLC raised its position in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 45.2% during the 2nd quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC now owns 1,440,032 shares of the company’s stock valued at $64,528,000 after purchasing an additional 448,582 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hood River Capital Management LLC raised its position in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 125.0% during the 2nd quarter. Hood River Capital Management LLC now owns 782,742 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,075,000 after purchasing an additional 434,894 shares during the last quarter.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on ASO. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $65.00 price objective on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. Truist Financial set a $59.00 price target on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a report on Wednesday. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $51.00 to $59.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $55.00 to $58.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $65.00 price target on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research note on Friday, January 2nd. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Academy Sports and Outdoors presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $59.89.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Trading Up 0.8%

Shares of NASDAQ ASO opened at $58.61 on Friday. Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. has a 1 year low of $33.34 and a 1 year high of $59.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 1.71 and a quick ratio of 0.32. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $50.66 and a 200 day moving average of $50.76. The stock has a market cap of $3.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 1.25.

Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, December 9th. The company reported $1.14 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.06 by $0.08. Academy Sports and Outdoors had a net margin of 6.27% and a return on equity of 18.24%. The business had revenue of $1.38 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.41 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.98 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. Academy Sports and Outdoors has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.650-6.150 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 18th were issued a $0.13 dividend. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, December 18th. Academy Sports and Outdoors’s payout ratio is 9.51%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Brian T. Marley sold 3,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.01, for a total value of $192,535.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 39,107 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,151,276.07. This represents a 8.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 3.62% of the company’s stock.

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.