StockNews.com Upgrades Buckle (NYSE:BKE) to “Buy”

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

Separately, UBS Group cut their target price on Buckle from $32.00 to $31.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, August 26th.

Buckle Price Performance

Shares of BKE stock traded down $0.40 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $45.28. The company had a trading volume of 453,128 shares, compared to its average volume of 402,238. Buckle has a 52-week low of $32.16 and a 52-week high of $48.15. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $42.96 and its 200 day simple moving average is $40.10. The stock has a market cap of $2.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.04 and a beta of 1.14.

Buckle (NYSE:BKE) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, August 23rd. The company reported $0.78 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of $282.39 million during the quarter. Buckle had a net margin of 16.69% and a return on equity of 46.17%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Buckle

In related news, SVP Brett P. Milkie sold 16,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.35, for a total value of $661,600.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 80,170 shares in the company, valued at $3,315,029.50. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other Buckle news, CEO Dennis H. Nelson sold 20,453 shares of Buckle stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $42.90, for a total transaction of $877,433.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 1,822,546 shares in the company, valued at approximately $78,187,223.40. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Brett P. Milkie sold 16,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.35, for a total transaction of $661,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 80,170 shares in the company, valued at $3,315,029.50. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 142,931 shares of company stock valued at $6,080,458. Corporate insiders own 39.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Buckle

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in Buckle by 52.0% during the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 789 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 270 shares in the last quarter. Unison Advisors LLC raised its stake in Buckle by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. Unison Advisors LLC now owns 37,859 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,665,000 after purchasing an additional 334 shares during the last quarter. Redhawk Wealth Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in Buckle by 2.7% in the 2nd quarter. Redhawk Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 13,927 shares of the company’s stock valued at $514,000 after purchasing an additional 370 shares in the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC boosted its stake in shares of Buckle by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 59,961 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,636,000 after purchasing an additional 396 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Louisiana State Employees Retirement System grew its holdings in shares of Buckle by 2.8% during the second quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 14,900 shares of the company’s stock worth $550,000 after buying an additional 400 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 53.93% of the company’s stock.

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.