Escalade, Incorporated (NASDAQ:ESCA) Sees Significant Growth in Short Interest

Escalade, Incorporated (NASDAQ:ESCA) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totalling 92,300 shares, a growth of 21.8% from the December 15th total of 75,800 shares. Currently, 1.0% of the company’s shares are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 28,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.3 days.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Inspire Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Escalade by 195.4% in the third quarter. Inspire Advisors LLC now owns 43,092 shares of the company’s stock worth $606,000 after acquiring an additional 28,503 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in shares of Escalade by 301.6% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 18,914 shares of the company’s stock valued at $266,000 after purchasing an additional 14,204 shares during the period. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Escalade during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $166,000. Barclays PLC raised its holdings in Escalade by 251.3% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 13,185 shares of the company’s stock worth $186,000 after buying an additional 9,432 shares during the period. Finally, Arete Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Escalade by 40.6% in the third quarter. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 20,975 shares of the company’s stock valued at $292,000 after buying an additional 6,059 shares in the last quarter. 65.22% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded Escalade from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 10th.

Escalade Stock Up 1.6 %

Shares of NASDAQ:ESCA opened at $15.00 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $14.88 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $14.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a current ratio of 3.45. The company has a market capitalization of $208.20 million, a PE ratio of 15.96 and a beta of 1.27. Escalade has a 52 week low of $12.34 and a 52 week high of $20.23.

Escalade Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, January 13th. Investors of record on Monday, January 6th were paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.00%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, January 6th. Escalade’s payout ratio is presently 63.83%.

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.