Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC Has $8.75 Million Stake in The Buckle, Inc. (NYSE:BKE)

Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC lowered its holdings in The Buckle, Inc. (NYSE:BKE) by 3.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 172,171 shares of the company’s stock after selling 6,395 shares during the quarter. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC owned about 0.34% of Buckle worth $8,748,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of BKE. FMR LLC grew its holdings in shares of Buckle by 187.1% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 3,824 shares of the company’s stock valued at $168,000 after buying an additional 2,492 shares during the last quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA bought a new position in Buckle in the 3rd quarter valued at about $207,000. Holocene Advisors LP acquired a new position in Buckle during the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,330,000. HighTower Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Buckle during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $214,000. Finally, Quarry LP raised its stake in shares of Buckle by 60.9% in the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 938 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 355 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 53.93% of the company’s stock.

Buckle Stock Performance

NYSE:BKE opened at $38.39 on Tuesday. The Buckle, Inc. has a 52 week low of $34.67 and a 52 week high of $54.25. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $41.78 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $45.38. The firm has a market cap of $1.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.74 and a beta of 1.17.

Buckle (NYSE:BKE) last released its 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $378.97 million. Buckle had a return on equity of 44.11% and a net margin of 16.21%. Buckle’s quarterly revenue was down .8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.59 earnings per share.

Buckle Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 29th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.65%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 15th. Buckle’s payout ratio is 36.08%.

Insider Transactions at Buckle

In related news, CEO Dennis H. Nelson sold 15,340 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.32, for a total transaction of $557,148.80. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 1,647,695 shares in the company, valued at approximately $59,844,282.40. This trade represents a 0.92 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders have sold 92,269 shares of company stock worth $3,952,882 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 39.80% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently issued reports on BKE. UBS Group cut their target price on Buckle from $43.00 to $41.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 18th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Buckle from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th.

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.