Edward Williams Sells 2,373 Shares of Escalade (NASDAQ:ESCA) Stock

Escalade, Incorporated (NASDAQ:ESCA) Director Edward Williams sold 2,373 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.99, for a total value of $49,809.27. Following the sale, the director directly owned 129,452 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,717,197.48. This trade represents a 1.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link.

Escalade Price Performance

Shares of Escalade stock opened at $20.07 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $276.36 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.02 and a beta of 0.58. Escalade, Incorporated has a 52-week low of $11.41 and a 52-week high of $23.07. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $19.34 and a 200-day simple moving average of $17.77.

Escalade (NASDAQ:ESCA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $0.68 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.16 by $0.52. The business had revenue of $57.70 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $57.60 million. Escalade had a return on equity of 13.11% and a net margin of 9.46%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Escalade, Incorporated will post 1.56 earnings per share for the current year.

Escalade Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 13th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, October 6th will be given a $0.1525 dividend. This represents a $0.61 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 6th. Escalade’s payout ratio is currently 36.53%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ESCA has been the subject of several analyst reports. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Escalade from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Zacks Research raised shares of Escalade from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and one has assigned a Buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Strong Buy”.

Key Escalade News

Here are the key news stories impacting Escalade this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Escalade recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.1525 per share, or $0.61 annualized, representing an approximate 2.9% yield and a 36.5% payout ratio. Escalade dividend and insider trading report
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations: earnings per share were $0.68 versus the $0.16 consensus estimate, while revenue of $57.7 million was broadly in line with forecasts. Analysts currently expect approximately $1.56 in full-year EPS. Recent rating changes have also included upgrades to “Buy” and “Strong Buy.”
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles about Cadillac Escalade SUVs—including the Escalade IQ’s $54,995 customization package, the Escalade-V and Escalade Sport—refer to General Motors’ Cadillac vehicle brand, not Escalade, Incorporated. These stories should not have a direct effect on ESCA’s revenue or operations. Cadillac Escalade customization article
• Negative Sentiment: Director Edward E. Williams sold 33,050 shares over August 11–13 for approximately $693,000. The sales reduced his holdings by roughly 20% across the reported transactions, although he still owns 129,452 shares. Repeated insider selling can weigh on investor confidence, particularly after the stock’s recent advance. SEC filing for Escalade director stock sales

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Escalade

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in shares of Escalade in the second quarter valued at approximately $9,851,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in Escalade in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,720,000. De Lisle Partners LLP acquired a new position in Escalade in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,204,000. Northstar Group Inc. bought a new position in Escalade in the 2nd quarter worth $1,136,000. Finally, Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in Escalade in the 1st quarter worth $311,000. Institutional investors own 65.22% of the company’s stock.

Escalade Company Profile

Escalade, Inc is a U.S.-based manufacturer and distributor of recreational equipment and specialty products for both consumer and commercial markets. Headquartered in Evansville, Indiana, the company operates through two principal business segments: Sporting Goods and Commercial Products. The Sporting Goods segment encompasses a diverse range of products such as hockey and lacrosse goal assemblies, fitness accessories, archery and hunting gear, and table tennis equipment. The Commercial Products segment focuses on seating solutions for restaurants, hospitality venues and other public spaces under the Top Seat brand, as well as storage, display products and industrial carts.

Within Sporting Goods, Escalade markets its products under proprietary brands including Bear® Archery, Gene St.