Qtron Investments LLC Increases Stock Position in DICK’S Sporting Goods, Inc. (NYSE:DKS)

Qtron Investments LLC lifted its holdings in shares of DICK’S Sporting Goods, Inc. (NYSE:DKS) by 31.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,255 shares of the sporting goods retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 539 shares during the period. Qtron Investments LLC’s holdings in DICK’S Sporting Goods were worth $516,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Marion Wealth Management purchased a new position in DICK’S Sporting Goods during the fourth quarter worth $545,000. Argus Investors Counsel Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of DICK’S Sporting Goods during the fourth quarter valued at $257,000. Town & Country Bank & Trust CO dba First Bankers Trust CO grew its holdings in shares of DICK’S Sporting Goods by 78.2% during the fourth quarter. Town & Country Bank & Trust CO dba First Bankers Trust CO now owns 11,495 shares of the sporting goods retailer’s stock worth $2,631,000 after buying an additional 5,046 shares in the last quarter. Principal Securities Inc. boosted its position in DICK’S Sporting Goods by 11.8% during the fourth quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 3,589 shares of the sporting goods retailer’s stock worth $821,000 after acquiring an additional 380 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its stake in DICK’S Sporting Goods by 15.1% in the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 2,144 shares of the sporting goods retailer’s stock worth $491,000 after acquiring an additional 281 shares during the period. 89.83% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. Loop Capital reduced their price target on DICK’S Sporting Goods from $240.00 to $195.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 13th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on DICK’S Sporting Goods from $245.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $250.00 price objective on shares of DICK’S Sporting Goods in a research note on Friday, March 14th. TD Cowen raised their target price on shares of DICK’S Sporting Goods from $270.00 to $294.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lowered their target price on shares of DICK’S Sporting Goods from $226.00 to $192.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Thursday. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, DICK’S Sporting Goods presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $244.72.

DICK’S Sporting Goods Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:DKS opened at $186.01 on Friday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $210.74 and its 200 day simple moving average is $214.58. The company has a market cap of $14.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.30, a PEG ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 1.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 0.56 and a current ratio of 1.72. DICK’S Sporting Goods, Inc. has a one year low of $166.37 and a one year high of $254.60.

DICK’S Sporting Goods (NYSE:DKS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 11th. The sporting goods retailer reported $3.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.47 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $3.89 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.76 billion. DICK’S Sporting Goods had a net margin of 8.65% and a return on equity of 42.00%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.85 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that DICK’S Sporting Goods, Inc. will post 13.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

DICK’S Sporting Goods Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 11th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 28th were given a $1.2125 dividend. This is a boost from DICK’S Sporting Goods’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.10. This represents a $4.85 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.61%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 28th. DICK’S Sporting Goods’s dividend payout ratio is presently 34.54%.

DICK’S Sporting Goods declared that its board has approved a share buyback plan on Tuesday, March 11th that authorizes the company to buyback $3.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the sporting goods retailer to purchase up to 18.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Julie Lodge-Jarrett sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $227.99, for a total transaction of $1,139,950.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 16,504 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,762,746.96. This represents a 23.25 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 32.03% of the company’s stock.

DICK’S Sporting Goods Profile

Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc engages in the retailing of an extensive assortment of authentic sports equipment, apparel, footwear, and accessories. It also offers its products both online and through mobile applications. The company was founded by Richard T. Stack in 1948 and is headquartered in Coraopolis, PA.