KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS Takes Position in The Buckle, Inc. (NYSE:BKE)

KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS acquired a new position in The Buckle, Inc. (NYSE:BKE) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm acquired 12,500 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $635,000.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Buckle in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Quarry LP boosted its position in shares of Buckle by 60.9% during the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 938 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 355 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Buckle by 268.3% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 825 shares of the company’s stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 601 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in Buckle by 74.1% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,374 shares of the company’s stock valued at $70,000 after acquiring an additional 585 shares during the period. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its stake in Buckle by 15.8% during the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 1,756 shares of the company’s stock valued at $89,000 after acquiring an additional 240 shares in the last quarter. 53.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Buckle Price Performance

NYSE BKE opened at $38.95 on Thursday. The Buckle, Inc. has a 12 month low of $34.67 and a 12 month high of $54.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.98 billion, a PE ratio of 9.89 and a beta of 1.17. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $41.39 and its 200 day simple moving average is $45.29.

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

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 given a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.59%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 15th. Buckle’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.08%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BKE has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. StockNews.com lowered Buckle from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of Buckle from $43.00 to $41.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 18th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Buckle

In other Buckle news, CEO Dennis H. Nelson sold 20,453 shares of Buckle stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.42, for a total value of $888,069.26. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 1,698,828 shares in the company, valued at approximately $73,763,111.76. The trade was a 1.19 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In the last three months, insiders sold 92,269 shares of company stock valued at $3,952,882. 39.80% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.