Escalade, Incorporated (NASDAQ:ESCA) Short Interest Down 8.3% in August

Escalade, Incorporated (NASDAQ:ESCA) saw a significant decline in short interest during the month of August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totalling 78,400 shares, a decline of 8.3% from the July 31st total of 85,500 shares. Approximately 0.9% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 16,400 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.8 days.

Escalade Stock Down 9.3 %

Escalade stock opened at $12.68 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $175.77 million, a PE ratio of 13.93 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 4.60 and a quick ratio of 1.74. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $13.72 and its two-hundred day moving average is $13.69. Escalade has a 1-year low of $12.34 and a 1-year high of $22.01.

Escalade (NASDAQ:ESCA) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The company reported $0.20 earnings per share for the quarter. The business had revenue of $62.53 million for the quarter. Escalade had a return on equity of 7.16% and a net margin of 4.55%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Escalade will post 0.85 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Escalade Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, October 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, October 7th will be issued a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.73%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, October 7th. Escalade’s payout ratio is 65.93%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Escalade from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, August 3rd.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Escalade

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of ESCA. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in Escalade by 0.3% in the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 458,464 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,322,000 after acquiring an additional 1,365 shares in the last quarter. Inspire Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Escalade in the 2nd quarter valued at about $201,000. Thoroughbred Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Escalade in the 2nd quarter valued at about $15,458,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its stake in Escalade by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 126,474 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,744,000 after buying an additional 1,071 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quadrature Capital Ltd acquired a new position in Escalade during the first quarter worth approximately $199,000. 65.22% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Escalade Company Profile

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.