We recently published a list of 10 Best Gun Stocks to Buy in 2025. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO) stands against other best gun stocks to buy in 2025.
America has a deep connection to guns, dating back to its earliest days. The Second Amendment of the Constitution guarantees citizens the right to bear arms. According to a Pew Research Center survey in 2023, about four in ten adults in the country say they live in a household with guns, while 32% personally use one.
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While there is mixed opinion over the right to own a gun and the laws that regulate its use in modern times, most gun owners consider the weapon an integral part of their freedom. About 72% cite protection as the major reason behind owning a gun. Others own the weapon for varying reasons, including gun collection, hunting, sports shooting, and job purposes.
While firearm purchases have been on a steady decline since the pandemic peak, the demand is still reasonably high. The United States is home to a thriving firearms industry that generates billions in revenue every year and provides employment to thousands of Americans. According to The Firearm Industry Trade Association, the sector contributed $90 billion toward the national output in 2023. This was 371% higher than the levels in 2008.
American companies that manufacture and sell firearms, ammunition, and hunting equipment had employed nearly 155,000 people, as of 2023. The market has also created thousands of jobs indirectly in the ancillary and supplier industries, resulting in over 384,000 jobs tied to the sector. Combined, these workers earn around $25.98 billion in wages.
While final figures for gun sales in 2024 are yet to be known, the FBI’s database recorded 5.5 million guns being bought by Americans during the first four months of the year. This was a slight dip year-over-year from 2023. California, Florida, and Texas represented 22% of gun purchases between January and April.
During his election campaign, Trump vowed to defend gun rights and oppose any firearm limits. After being elected President, the 78-year-old signed an executive order aimed at reversing Biden’s actions on the guns. On February 7, the U.S. president asked the Department of Justice to review regulations drafted by the previous administration to look for any ‘ongoing infringements’ of the Second Amendment.
Gun stocks surged last year in July, following the assassination attempt on Trump. The demand for guns and ammunition often sees an uptick after a law and order incident, or when there is chatter about a change in laws that could limit their availability.
Methodology
We scanned Insider Monkey’s database of 900 hedge funds for the third quarter of 2024 to identify gun and ammunition companies. From there, we picked 10 companies with the highest number of hedge funds having stakes in them. Since there are few pure-play gun and ammunition stocks, we have also included sports and outdoor recreation companies selling shooting products in our list.
The best gun stocks to buy are ranked in ascending order by the hedge fund holders in each company. When two or more stocks were tied on the number of hedge fund holders, we outranked one over the other on market capitalization.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).
A person fishing in the lake, using the companies fishing equipment to reel in their catch.
Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 25
Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO) is an American sporting goods and outdoor recreation retailer, headquartered in Katy, Texas. Its outdoor division sells products related to camping, fishing, and hunting (which include firearms and ammunition, among others). The sports and recreation division offers sports and fitness equipment, accessories, and nutrition supplies. The company also has apparel and footwear divisions.
On December 10, Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO) announced financial results for the third quarter of fiscal 2024. It reported sales of $1.34 billion in line with expectations. Outdoor was the best-performing division during the quarter, with year-over-year sales growth of 7%, driven by strength in the camping and hunting businesses. Adjusted diluted EPS stood at 98 cents.
Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO) is focused on growth through new stores. It opened 16 new stores in 2024 and plans to open 20 to 25 new locations in 2025, raising its unit count by 7.5%. Given its positive growth trends, the company plans to open 160 to 180 stores over the next five years.
The company delivered its 20th consecutive quarter of positive adjusted free cash flow. It reported approximately $252 million of adjusted free cash flow year-to-date, up 68% from last year. Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO) ended Q3 with $296 million in cash, improving 7.7% year-over-year. The inventory balance stood at $1.52 billion, an increase of 2.2% from 2023.
Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO) is also committed to shareholder returns. In December, the Board authorized a $700 million share repurchase program and declared a quarterly dividend of 11 cents per share, raising investor confidence in the business. Wall Street analysts are also bullish on the stock, with a consensus Buy rating and an average share price upside potential of 18.51%.
Overall, ASO ranks 3rd on our list of best gun stocks to buy in 2025. While we acknowledge the potential of gun companies, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than ASO but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
