Escalade (NASDAQ:ESCA) Director Richard Fenton Baalmann, Jr. Sells 2,000 Shares of Company Stock

Escalade, Incorporated (NASDAQ:ESCA) Director Richard Baalmann, Jr. sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.00, for a total value of $42,000.00. Following the sale, the director owned 95,794 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,011,674. The trade was a 2.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

Escalade Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:ESCA opened at $20.98 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $288.62 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.99 and a beta of 0.54. The company has a 50 day moving average of $19.46 and a 200-day moving average of $18.32. Escalade, Incorporated has a one year low of $12.25 and a one year high of $23.07.

Escalade (NASDAQ:ESCA) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $0.48 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.34 by $0.14. The firm had revenue of $65.61 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $68.48 million. Escalade had a net margin of 10.03% and a return on equity of 13.48%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Escalade, Incorporated will post 1.59 earnings per share for the current year.

Escalade Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 11th. Shareholders of record on Monday, January 4th will be issued a dividend of $0.1525 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, January 4th. This represents a $0.61 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.9%. Escalade’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 34.86%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Escalade

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its stake in Escalade by 3,080.4% in the 3rd quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,781 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 1,725 shares during the period. IFP Advisors Inc raised its position in shares of Escalade by 2,074.4% in the third quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 3,392 shares of the company’s stock valued at $65,000 after purchasing an additional 3,236 shares during the period. Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new stake in shares of Escalade during the 2nd quarter worth about $156,000. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its stake in shares of Escalade by 13.9% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 10,442 shares of the company’s stock worth $179,000 after buying an additional 1,271 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Escalade during the 2nd quarter worth about $208,000. Institutional investors own 65.22% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on ESCA shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded Escalade from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Monday. Wall Street Zen lowered Escalade from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, October 31st. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH started coverage on Escalade in a research report on Tuesday, October 13th. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded Escalade from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold”.

About Escalade

Escalade, Inc. is a sporting goods manufacturer and distributor headquartered in Evansville, Indiana. The company develops, manufactures and markets products for recreational and competitive sports, with a focus on indoor and outdoor activities. Its product portfolio includes table tennis equipment, pickleball and other game-related products, archery equipment, darts, billiards, game-room furnishings, and outdoor recreation products. Escalade sells products under a variety of established brands, including STIGA, Onix, Accudart, Victory Tailgate, Harrows and Unicorn, as well as through private-label offerings.