Escalade, Incorporated (NASDAQ:ESCA) Sees Large Decline in Short Interest

Escalade, Incorporated (NASDAQ:ESCA) saw a large drop in short interest during the month of February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 85,400 shares, a drop of 13.7% from the February 13th total of 98,900 shares. Approximately 0.8% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 20,800 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 4.1 days.

Escalade Price Performance

Shares of ESCA traded up $0.03 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $15.01. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,059 shares, compared to its average volume of 20,735. Escalade has a one year low of $12.34 and a one year high of $16.99. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $15.08 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $14.59. The company has a quick ratio of 1.41, a current ratio of 3.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The stock has a market capitalization of $205.23 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.93 and a beta of 1.30.

Escalade (NASDAQ:ESCA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 26th. The company reported $0.19 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.20 by ($0.01). Escalade had a net margin of 5.20% and a return on equity of 7.17%. The firm had revenue of $251.51 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $62.20 million. As a group, equities analysts expect that Escalade will post 0.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Escalade Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 14th. Investors of record on Monday, April 7th will be issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.00%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 7th. Escalade’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 65.22%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Escalade

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its position in Escalade by 250.4% in the 4th quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,288 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 1,635 shares in the last quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN increased its position in Escalade by 22.9% in the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 6,870 shares of the company’s stock valued at $98,000 after buying an additional 1,278 shares in the last quarter. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Escalade in the 3rd quarter valued at about $166,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its holdings in Escalade by 6.9% during the 4th quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 12,430 shares of the company’s stock worth $178,000 after purchasing an additional 800 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Barclays PLC increased 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 purchasing an additional 9,432 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.22% of the company’s stock.

About Escalade

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.