Buckle (NYSE:BKE) Shares Down 5.5% – Should You Sell?

Shares of Buckle, Inc. (The) (NYSE:BKE) traded down 5.5% on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $52.54 and last traded at $52.3450. 207,877 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 65% from the average session volume of 591,167 shares. The stock had previously closed at $55.41.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have commented on BKE shares. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Buckle from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, January 11th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Buckle in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Buckle in a report on Friday, January 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $55.00.

Buckle Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $2.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.49 and a beta of 1.12. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $55.25 and its 200 day moving average price is $55.06.

Buckle (NYSE:BKE) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, November 21st. The company reported $0.96 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.94 by $0.02. Buckle had a return on equity of 44.42% and a net margin of 16.13%.The firm had revenue of $320.84 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $317.97 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.88 earnings per share. Buckle’s quarterly revenue was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis.

Buckle Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a special dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, January 15th will be given a dividend of $3.00 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 15th. Buckle’s dividend payout ratio is currently 34.31%.

Institutional Trading of Buckle

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BKE. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Buckle by 9.5% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 94,408 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,618,000 after purchasing an additional 8,202 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its position in shares of Buckle by 4.5% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 18,363 shares of the company’s stock valued at $704,000 after buying an additional 797 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC raised its stake in Buckle by 15.3% during the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 99,547 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,815,000 after acquiring an additional 13,189 shares during the period. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Buckle by 1,928.1% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 649 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 617 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Buckle in the second quarter worth about $215,000. Institutional investors own 53.93% of the company’s stock.

Buckle Company 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.