Dennis H. Nelson Sells 20,453 Shares of The Buckle, Inc. (NYSE:BKE) Stock

The Buckle, Inc. (NYSE:BKE) CEO Dennis H. Nelson sold 20,453 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.86, for a total value of $835,709.58. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,678,375 shares in the company, valued at $68,578,402.50. This trade represents a 1.20 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.

Buckle Price Performance

Shares of BKE traded down $0.98 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $39.14. The company had a trading volume of 112,882 shares, compared to its average volume of 460,170. The company has a market capitalization of $1.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.94 and a beta of 1.14. The Buckle, Inc. has a twelve month low of $34.87 and a twelve month high of $54.25. The company’s 50-day moving average is $47.45 and its 200-day moving average is $45.97.

Buckle Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a special dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 29th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, January 15th were paid a $2.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, January 15th. This represents a dividend yield of 2.6%. Buckle’s dividend payout ratio is presently 35.53%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently commented on BKE. UBS Group upgraded shares of Buckle from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and upped their target price for the company from $31.00 to $46.00 in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th. StockNews.com lowered Buckle from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Buckle

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Creative Planning boosted its stake in Buckle by 64.1% in the third quarter. Creative Planning now owns 27,528 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,210,000 after purchasing an additional 10,751 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Buckle by 52.0% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 789 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 270 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Buckle by 13.4% in the third quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 18,034 shares of the company’s stock worth $794,000 after acquiring an additional 2,133 shares in the last quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in Buckle by 6.0% during the 3rd quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 19,664 shares of the company’s stock worth $865,000 after buying an additional 1,106 shares during the period. Finally, Meritage Portfolio Management lifted its position in Buckle by 10.4% in the 3rd quarter. Meritage Portfolio Management now owns 23,944 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,053,000 after acquiring an additional 2,251 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.