Heartland Advisors Inc. Takes Position in Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. $ASO

Heartland Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO) in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor acquired 563,941 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $26,579,000. Academy Sports and Outdoors comprises approximately 1.2% of Heartland Advisors Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 8th biggest holding.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of ASO. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors during the second quarter worth $468,146,000. Boston Partners increased its stake in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 85.5% in the 3rd quarter. Boston Partners now owns 1,302,141 shares of the company’s stock worth $65,416,000 after purchasing an additional 600,335 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new position in Academy Sports and Outdoors in the 2nd quarter worth about $27,742,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Academy Sports and Outdoors during the 4th quarter worth about $29,301,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in Academy Sports and Outdoors by 128.2% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 833,769 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,655,000 after buying an additional 468,457 shares during the period.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Stock Performance

Shares of ASO opened at $45.83 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $48.12 and its 200 day moving average price is $52.97. Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. has a 52 week low of $41.29 and a 52 week high of $62.44. The company has a market capitalization of $2.84 billion, a PE ratio of 8.07, a PEG ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a current ratio of 1.68.

Academy Sports and Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, June 9th. The company reported $0.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.91 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $1.44 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.44 billion. Academy Sports and Outdoors had a net margin of 6.24% and a return on equity of 17.85%. The company’s revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.76 EPS. Academy Sports and Outdoors has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.400-6.800 EPS. Research analysts expect that Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. will post 6.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Academy Sports and Outdoors Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 16th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 18th were paid a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, June 18th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Academy Sports and Outdoors’s dividend payout ratio is 10.56%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $67.00 to $60.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, June 10th. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $55.00 to $50.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. Truist Financial decreased their price objective on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $54.00 to $52.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 10th. UBS Group cut their target price on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors from $56.00 to $55.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, June 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company restated a “hold” rating on shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors in a report on Wednesday, June 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $58.07.

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.