Denali Advisors LLC Has $7.23 Million Holdings in The Buckle, Inc. (NYSE:BKE)

Denali Advisors LLC lessened its holdings in The Buckle, Inc. (NYSE:BKE) by 9.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 142,228 shares of the company’s stock after selling 14,700 shares during the quarter. Buckle accounts for approximately 0.8% of Denali Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 25th biggest holding. Denali Advisors LLC owned 0.28% of Buckle worth $7,227,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its position in Buckle by 52.0% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 789 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 270 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP increased its position in shares of Buckle by 60.9% in the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 938 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 355 shares during the last quarter. Quest Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Buckle in the third quarter valued at about $86,000. KBC Group NV raised its holdings in Buckle by 72.1% during the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,773 shares of the company’s stock worth $90,000 after acquiring an additional 743 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Signaturefd LLC boosted its position in Buckle by 38.7% during the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 2,236 shares of the company’s stock valued at $98,000 after purchasing an additional 624 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 53.93% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Dennis H. Nelson sold 20,453 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.18, for a total value of $1,087,690.54. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,781,640 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $94,747,615.20. This represents a 1.13 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Kari G. Smith sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.29, for a total transaction of $1,045,800.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 150,554 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,872,468.66. This represents a 11.73 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 104,542 shares of company stock valued at $5,267,351 over the last three months. Insiders own 39.80% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. StockNews.com lowered Buckle from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday. UBS Group upgraded shares of Buckle from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $31.00 to $46.00 in a report on Tuesday, November 12th.

Buckle Stock Performance

Shares of BKE stock opened at $40.21 on Wednesday. The Buckle, Inc. has a 52-week low of $34.87 and a 52-week high of $54.25. The stock has a market cap of $2.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.21 and a beta of 1.14. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $47.64 and its 200-day moving average is $46.01.

Buckle Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a special dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 29th. Shareholders 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 yield of 2.6%. Buckle’s dividend payout ratio is 35.53%.

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.