Ruffer LLP Takes $3.68 Million Position in Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO)

Ruffer LLP purchased a new stake in Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 63,888 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,676,000.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of ASO. FMR LLC raised its stake in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 15.3% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 10,739,463 shares of the company’s stock valued at $626,755,000 after acquiring an additional 1,422,971 shares during the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 8.1% in the 4th quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 2,649,276 shares of the company’s stock valued at $152,413,000 after buying an additional 197,384 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 2.6% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,023,192 shares of the company’s stock valued at $118,092,000 after acquiring an additional 50,715 shares during the period. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 331.4% in the 4th quarter. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC now owns 959,680 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,210,000 after purchasing an additional 737,212 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Royce & Associates LP lifted its stake in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 62.5% in the third quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 951,256 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,515,000 after purchasing an additional 365,929 shares during the period.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Trading Up 0.9 %

NASDAQ ASO opened at $49.24 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $3.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.09, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.25. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $53.28 and its 200-day simple moving average is $53.75. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. has a 52 week low of $44.73 and a 52 week high of $74.26.

Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, December 10th. The company reported $0.98 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.28 by ($0.30). Academy Sports and Outdoors had a net margin of 7.49% and a return on equity of 23.32%. The firm had revenue of $1.34 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.39 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.38 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 17th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 25th will be given a $0.13 dividend. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.06%. This is a positive change from Academy Sports and Outdoors’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.11. Academy Sports and Outdoors’s dividend payout ratio is presently 7.22%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Robert W. Baird reduced their price target on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $68.00 to $65.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. Wedbush reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $65.00 target price on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $50.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. TD Cowen raised their target price on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $54.00 to $61.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group lowered their price target on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $65.00 to $60.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $61.67.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Company Profile

Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates as a sporting goods and outdoor recreational retailer in the United States. The company outdoor division comprises camping products, such as coolers and drinkware, and camping accessories and equipment,; fishing products, including marine equipment and fishing rods, reels, and baits and equipment; and hunting products, which includes firearms, ammunition, archery and archery equipment, camouflage apparel, waders, shooting accessories, gun safes, optics, airguns, and hunting equipment.