Crawford Investment Counsel Inc. Has $22.68 Million Holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. $ASO

Crawford Investment Counsel Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO) by 15.1% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 453,310 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 59,596 shares during the quarter. Crawford Investment Counsel Inc. owned about 0.68% of Academy Sports and Outdoors worth $22,675,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,879,904 shares of the company’s stock worth $194,077,000 after purchasing an additional 46,305 shares in the last quarter. LSV Asset Management raised its position in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 43.0% in the second quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 3,119,790 shares of the company’s stock valued at $139,798,000 after buying an additional 937,449 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. raised its position in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 6.1% in the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 2,176,853 shares of the company’s stock valued at $108,886,000 after buying an additional 125,398 shares in the last quarter. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 5.9% in the second quarter. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. now owns 2,110,172 shares of the company’s stock valued at $94,557,000 after buying an additional 117,175 shares during the period. Finally, Royce & Associates LP boosted its stake in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors by 4.3% in the third quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 1,329,347 shares of the company’s stock valued at $66,494,000 after buying an additional 55,210 shares during the period.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Stock Up 1.5%

Shares of ASO opened at $56.34 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $57.98 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $52.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 1.71 and a quick ratio of 0.32. Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. has a one year low of $33.34 and a one year high of $62.44. The company has a market cap of $3.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.30, a P/E/G ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 1.23.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. This is an increase from Academy Sports and Outdoors’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 20th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Academy Sports and Outdoors’s payout ratio is presently 10.97%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ASO has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $65.00 price target on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research report on Wednesday. Truist Financial set a $59.00 target price on Academy Sports and Outdoors in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a report on Monday, December 29th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Academy Sports and Outdoors from $52.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price target on Academy Sports and Outdoors from $51.00 to $59.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Academy Sports and Outdoors has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $60.22.

Insider Activity at Academy Sports and Outdoors

In related news, Director Brian T. Marley sold 3,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.01, for a total transaction of $192,535.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 39,107 shares in the company, valued at $2,151,276.07. This represents a 8.21% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 3.62% of the company’s stock.

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.