Buckle (NYSE:BKE) Lowered to Hold Rating by StockNews.com

Buckle (NYSE:BKE) was downgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a note issued to investors on Thursday.

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

Buckle Trading Up 0.5 %

Shares of BKE opened at $51.26 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.01 and a beta of 1.14. Buckle has a 12-month low of $34.87 and a 12-month high of $54.25. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $48.25 and a 200-day moving average price of $43.19.

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

Insider Transactions at Buckle

In other news, Director John P. Peetz sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.70, for a total value of $129,250.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 22,123 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,143,759.10. This trade represents a 10.15 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Dennis H. Nelson sold 20,453 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.00, for a total transaction of $879,479.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 1,842,999 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $79,248,957. This trade represents a 1.10 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 134,265 shares of company stock valued at $6,414,313. Company insiders own 39.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Buckle

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Buckle by 52.0% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 789 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 270 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP boosted its stake in Buckle by 60.9% in the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 938 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 355 shares in the last quarter. Quest Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Buckle during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $86,000. Signaturefd LLC increased its stake in Buckle by 38.7% during the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 2,236 shares of the company’s stock valued at $98,000 after purchasing an additional 624 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC lifted its stake in shares of Buckle by 85.3% during the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 3,725 shares of the company’s stock worth $164,000 after buying an additional 1,715 shares during the period. 53.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Buckle Company Profile

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.