SEB Asset Management AB Invests $1.79 Million in Buckle, Inc. (The) $BKE

SEB Asset Management AB bought a new stake in Buckle, Inc. (The) (NYSE:BKE) during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund bought 35,513 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,788,000.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Buckle by 9.5% during the 1st 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. raised its position in Buckle by 4.5% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 18,363 shares of the company’s stock valued at $704,000 after purchasing an additional 797 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 13,189 shares in the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Buckle by 1,928.1% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 649 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 617 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Buckle by 323.6% in the second quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 27,366 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,241,000 after buying an additional 20,905 shares during the period. 53.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Buckle news, Director Bill L. Fairfield sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.44, for a total transaction of $111,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 52,908 shares in the company, valued at $2,351,231.52. This trade represents a 4.51% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 38.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Buckle Price Performance

Shares of BKE stock opened at $41.99 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $44.49 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $49.56. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.63 and a beta of 1.08. Buckle, Inc. has a 12 month low of $40.73 and a 12 month high of $61.69.

Buckle (NYSE:BKE) last announced its earnings results on Friday, May 29th. The company reported $0.92 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.18. Buckle had a return on equity of 47.35% and a net margin of 16.85%.The company had revenue of $288.74 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $287.68 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.70 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis.

Buckle Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 29th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 15th will be issued a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 15th. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.3%. Buckle’s dividend payout ratio is currently 32.11%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. UBS Group lowered their target price on Buckle from $52.00 to $47.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Weiss Ratings lowered Buckle from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 25th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Buckle from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 4th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, Buckle has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $47.00.

Buckle 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.