Dennis H. Nelson Sells 20,453 Shares of The Buckle, Inc. (NYSE:BKE) Stock

The Buckle, Inc. (NYSE:BKE) CEO Dennis H. Nelson sold 20,453 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.57, for a total value of $1,054,761.21. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,739,734 shares in the company, valued at approximately $89,718,082.38. The trade was a 1.16 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Buckle Stock Performance

Buckle stock opened at $50.20 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $2.55 billion, a PE ratio of 12.74 and a beta of 1.15. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $49.97 and a two-hundred day moving average of $44.26. The Buckle, Inc. has a one year low of $34.87 and a one year high of $54.25.

Buckle (NYSE:BKE) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, November 22nd. The company reported $0.88 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.89 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $293.60 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations 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% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.04 earnings per share.

Buckle Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a special dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 29th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, January 15th will be paid a dividend of $2.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, January 15th. This represents a dividend yield of 2.6%. Buckle’s payout ratio is currently 35.53%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have commented on BKE. UBS Group raised shares of Buckle from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and increased their price target for the company from $31.00 to $46.00 in a research report on Tuesday, November 12th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Buckle from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 3rd.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Buckle

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in 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 position in Buckle by 60.9% in the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 938 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 355 shares during the last quarter. Quest Partners LLC acquired a new position in Buckle in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $86,000. Signaturefd LLC raised its position in Buckle by 38.7% during the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 2,236 shares of the company’s stock worth $98,000 after buying an additional 624 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC lifted its stake in Buckle by 85.3% during the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 3,725 shares of the company’s stock valued at $164,000 after acquiring an additional 1,715 shares during the period. 53.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.