Norges Bank Acquires Shares of 586,485 Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. $ASO

Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO) during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm acquired 586,485 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $29,301,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of ASO. Salomon & Ludwin LLC raised its holdings in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 139.8% in the 4th quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 482 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 281 shares in the last quarter. Huntington National Bank raised its holdings in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 47.3% in the 3rd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 1,015 shares of the company’s stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 326 shares in the last quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in the 4th quarter valued at $51,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 117.8% in the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,113 shares of the company’s stock valued at $56,000 after purchasing an additional 602 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Advisory Services Network LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in the 3rd quarter valued at $61,000.

Insider Buying and Selling at Academy Sports and Outdoors

In other news, Director Jeffrey C. Tweedy sold 4,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.00, for a total transaction of $240,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 7,835 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $470,100. This represents a 33.80% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 3.62% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Stock Performance

NASDAQ:ASO opened at $50.37 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 1.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $41.29 and a fifty-two week high of $62.44. The stock has a market cap of $3.25 billion, a PE ratio of 9.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.80 and a beta of 1.04. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $54.33 and its 200-day simple moving average is $54.65.

Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, June 9th. The company reported $0.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.91 by $0.02. Academy Sports and Outdoors had a net margin of 6.22% and a return on equity of 17.88%. The business had revenue of $1.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.44 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.76 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. Academy Sports and Outdoors has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.400-6.800 EPS. Analysts expect that Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. will post 5.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 16th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 18th will be paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 18th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. Academy Sports and Outdoors’s dividend payout ratio is 10.79%.

Key Headlines Impacting Academy Sports and Outdoors

Here are the key news stories impacting Academy Sports and Outdoors this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 adjusted EPS came in at $0.93, topping estimates, while revenue rose 6.7% year over year to $1.44 billion and comparable sales increased 2.9%, signaling solid execution and resilient traffic. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Academy raised FY 2026 guidance to EPS of $6.40-$6.80 and revenue of $6.2 billion-$6.4 billion, both above Street expectations, which supports the bull case for continued earnings growth. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Management highlighted 17.4% e-commerce growth and strong new-store performance, suggesting multiple growth engines are contributing to results. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data showed 0 shares reported, offering no meaningful signal for near-term trading direction.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary and transcript/presentation coverage this morning appear to be focused on parsing the details of the quarter rather than introducing new fundamental risks. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Management cautioned that consumers will remain “squeezed” through 2026, which could limit discretionary spending and temper the sustainability of sales momentum. Article Title

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Stephens assumed coverage on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $78.00 price objective on the stock. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $49.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $52.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. UBS Group reduced their price objective on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $60.00 to $56.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 18th. Finally, Truist Financial set a $54.00 price target on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research report on Monday, April 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $59.87.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Profile

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.