Denali Advisors LLC Acquires 42,578 Shares of The Buckle, Inc. (NYSE:BKE)

Denali Advisors LLC raised its holdings in The Buckle, Inc. (NYSE:BKE) by 37.2% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 156,928 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 42,578 shares during the period. Buckle accounts for about 1.6% of Denali Advisors LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest position. Denali Advisors LLC’s holdings in Buckle were worth $5,797,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BKE. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its stake in Buckle by 52.2% in the fourth quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 66,025 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,138,000 after acquiring an additional 22,638 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in Buckle by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,266,360 shares of the company’s stock valued at $60,179,000 after acquiring an additional 14,079 shares during the period. Quadrant Capital Group LLC grew its stake in Buckle by 527.4% in the fourth quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 985 shares of the company’s stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 828 shares during the period. Panagora Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in Buckle by 119.2% in the fourth quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 74,063 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,519,000 after acquiring an additional 40,279 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new position in Buckle in the fourth quarter valued at about $9,828,000. 53.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Buckle Price Performance

Shares of Buckle stock opened at $44.07 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $2.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.39 and a beta of 1.13. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $41.01 and its 200-day moving average is $38.85. The Buckle, Inc. has a one year low of $30.31 and a one year high of $48.15.

Buckle (NYSE:BKE) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, August 23rd. The company reported $0.78 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of $282.39 million for the quarter. Buckle had a return on equity of 46.17% and a net margin of 16.69%.

Buckle Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 25th. Investors of record on Friday, October 11th will be issued a dividend of $0.35 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 11th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.18%. Buckle’s payout ratio is presently 33.02%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. StockNews.com cut Buckle from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. UBS Group cut their price target on Buckle from $32.00 to $31.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, August 26th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Dennis H. Nelson sold 20,453 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.78, for a total transaction of $854,526.34. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 1,904,358 shares in the company, valued at $79,564,077.24. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, Director John P. Peetz sold 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.26, for a total transaction of $100,650.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 24,623 shares in the company, valued at $991,321.98. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Dennis H. Nelson sold 20,453 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.78, for a total value of $854,526.34. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 1,904,358 shares in the company, valued at approximately $79,564,077.24. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 100,346 shares of company stock worth $4,126,478. Corporate insiders own 39.80% of the company’s stock.

Buckle 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.