Escalade (NASDAQ:ESCA) Upgraded by StockNews.com to “Buy”

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Escalade (NASDAQ:ESCA) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note released on Wednesday morning.

Escalade Price Performance

NASDAQ:ESCA opened at $13.29 on Wednesday. Escalade has a 52 week low of $11.42 and a 52 week high of $22.01. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $13.63 and its two-hundred day moving average is $16.77. The company has a market capitalization of $184.20 million, a P/E ratio of 14.60 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a quick ratio of 1.63, a current ratio of 4.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28.

Escalade (NASDAQ:ESCA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, March 29th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $65.51 million for the quarter. Escalade had a net margin of 4.76% and a return on equity of 7.74%. Equities analysts expect that Escalade will post 1.29 EPS for the current year.

Escalade Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 8th will be paid a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 8th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.51%. Escalade’s payout ratio is presently 65.93%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Escalade

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Prosperity Consulting Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Escalade during the first quarter worth $484,000. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Escalade during the 3rd quarter worth about $291,000. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC raised its position in Escalade by 30.6% in the 3rd quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 31,543 shares of the company’s stock valued at $483,000 after purchasing an additional 7,396 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Escalade in the 4th quarter valued at about $118,000. Finally, Ritholtz Wealth Management grew its position in shares of Escalade by 13.8% during the fourth quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management now owns 16,940 shares of the company’s stock worth $340,000 after buying an additional 2,056 shares in the last quarter. 65.22% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Escalade

Escalade, Incorporated, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, distributes, imports, and sells sporting goods in North America, Europe, and internationally. The company provides various sporting goods brands in basketball goals, archery, indoor and outdoor game recreation, and fitness products.