Buckle (NYSE:BKE) Sets New 1-Year Low - Here's Why

The Buckle, Inc. (NYSE:BKE - Get Free Report)'s stock price reached a new 52-week low during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $33.95 and last traded at $34.04, with a volume of 312559 shares. The stock had previously closed at $38.91.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BKE has been the topic of several research reports. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Buckle from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. UBS Group lowered their price target on Buckle from $43.00 to $41.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 18th.

Buckle Trading Down 6.1 %

The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $40.67 and a 200 day moving average price of $45.11. The firm has a market cap of $1.72 billion, a PE ratio of 8.54 and a beta of 0.91.

Buckle (NYSE:BKE - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, March 14th. The company reported $1.53 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.44 by $0.09. Buckle had a return on equity of 44.11% and a net margin of 16.21%. The company had revenue of $379.20 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $378.97 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.59 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was down .8% on a year-over-year basis.

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Buckle Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 29th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.16%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 15th. Buckle's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.08%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Dennis H. Nelson sold 15,340 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.32, for a total transaction of $557,148.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,647,695 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $59,844,282.40. This represents a 0.92 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders have sold 71,816 shares of company stock worth $2,898,120 in the last quarter. 39.80% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Buckle

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in Buckle by 13,565.4% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 18,585 shares of the company's stock valued at $712,000 after purchasing an additional 18,449 shares during the period. Novem Group acquired a new stake in shares of Buckle in the 4th quarter worth approximately $227,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its position in Buckle by 24.3% in the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 65,021 shares of the company's stock worth $3,304,000 after buying an additional 12,722 shares during the last quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Buckle by 138.8% in the fourth quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 124,986 shares of the company's stock valued at $6,351,000 after purchasing an additional 72,652 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tidal Investments LLC purchased a new position in Buckle in the fourth quarter valued at about $1,512,000. 53.93% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other 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.