Buckle (NYSE:BKE) Stock Rating Upgraded by StockNews.com

Buckle (NYSE:BKE) was upgraded by research analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday.

Separately, UBS Group raised Buckle from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and raised their price target for the stock from $31.00 to $46.00 in a report on Tuesday, November 12th.

Buckle Stock Performance

NYSE BKE traded up $0.52 during trading on Friday, hitting $51.63. 513,248 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 436,374. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.10 and a beta of 1.14. Buckle has a 12-month low of $34.87 and a 12-month high of $54.25. The business has a 50 day moving average of $49.37 and a 200-day moving average of $43.88.

Buckle (NYSE:BKE) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, November 22nd. The company reported $0.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.89 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $293.60 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $293.60 million. Buckle had a net margin of 16.21% and a return on equity of 44.11%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.04 EPS.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Kari G. Smith sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.29, for a total value of $1,045,800.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 150,554 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,872,468.66. This trade represents a 11.73 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Dennis H. Nelson sold 20,453 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.37, for a total value of $1,050,670.61. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 1,760,187 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $90,420,806.19. The trade was a 1.15 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 134,265 shares of company stock worth $6,414,313. 39.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Impala Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Buckle by 43.3% during the third quarter. Impala Asset Management LLC now owns 365,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $16,049,000 after purchasing an additional 110,273 shares during the last quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Buckle during the 3rd quarter valued at $691,000. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Buckle by 4.8% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 799,078 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,142,000 after acquiring an additional 36,472 shares during the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC grew its position in Buckle by 15.7% in the second quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 125,368 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,631,000 after acquiring an additional 17,010 shares in the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. increased its stake in Buckle by 14.0% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 716,090 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,452,000 after acquiring an additional 87,690 shares during the last quarter. 53.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Buckle

The Buckle, Inc operates as a retailer of casual apparel, footwear, and accessories for young men and women in the United States. It markets a selection of brand name casual apparel, including denims, other casual bottoms, tops, sportswear, outerwear, accessories, and footwear, as well as private label merchandise primarily comprising BKE, Buckle Black, Salvage, Red by BKE, Daytrip, Gimmicks, Gilded Intent, FITZ + EDDI, Willow & Root, Outpost Makers, Departwest, Sterling & Stitch, Reclaim, BKE Vintage, Nova Industries, J.B.