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Escalade (ESCA) AI Stock Analysis
Escalade
(NASDAQ:ESCA)
Escalade scores well on the strength of its financial position: a near debt-free balance sheet, net cash, $41.1M of trailing free cash flow and steadily expanding margins that have lifted net income to $24.2M despite lower sales. Valuation reinforces the case, with an 11.1x P/E and a 3.28% dividend yield backed by robust cash generation. The latest earnings call added positives — record-type margin and cash flow improvement, deleveraging, acquisitions and a stepped-up innovation pipeline into 2027. The main drags are the persistent lack of top-line growth, with revenue down for three straight years and Q3 sales off 3% amid softness in basketball, indoor games and table tennis, plus a soft near-term technical setup with the stock trading below its 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages and a modestly negative MACD. Overall, a financially sound, conservatively capitalized leisure name at a reasonable valuation, where further upside hinges on stabilizing sales.
Escalade (ESCA) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)
- Market Cap
- $271.19M
- Dividend Yield
- 3.08%
- Average Volume (3M)
- 36.71K
- Price to Earnings (P/E)
- 11.2
- Beta (1Y)
- 0.46
- Revenue Growth
- 0.05%
- EPS Growth
- 90.86%
- Country
- US
- Employees
- 441
- Sector
- Consumer Cyclical
- Sector Strength
- 61
- Industry
- Leisure
Escalade Business Overview & Revenue Model
Company Description
Escalade, Inc. is a globally operating enterprise that manufactures, distributes, imports, and sells a diverse range of sporting and recreational equipment. The company's reach extends throughout North America, Europe, and other international markets...
How the Company Makes Money
Escalade makes money primarily by selling sporting goods and recreation products to retail and online customers. Its core revenue stream is product sales across its brand portfolio and private-label offerings, typically through wholesale distribution...
Escalade Earnings Call Summary
The call was predominantly positive. Escalade reported stronger gross margin, EBITDA, net income, operating cash flow, inventory efficiency, and balance-sheet liquidity, while continuing to invest in innovation, acquisitions, and facilities. These achievements outweighed the 3% net sales decline, category softness, higher SG&A, and ongoing pressure on discretionary consumer spending.
Q3-2026 Updates
Positive Updates
Negative Updates
Company Guidance
Management said it continues to work toward its longer-term inventory turn target of 3x and expects recent and upcoming new product introductions to support market share gains across several key categories as it moves into 2027, while current and ongoing investments in innovation are expected to drive an acceleration in new product introductions as it moves into 2027. The company is comfortable having at least a turn of EBITDA, which is around that number mentioned, on the balance sheet; anticipates that some cash could be used towards acquisitions; expects a little bit more capital expenditure in the fourth quarter and a little bit more into next year; and will continue to pay a dividend and buy back shares from time to time when that makes sense for the board of directors.
Escalade Financial Statement Overview
Summary
Escalade combines a near debt-free balance sheet (balance sheet score 86) and strong cash generation (cash flow score 83) with improving but growth-challenged earnings (income statement score 71). Total debt has been cut roughly 86% since 2022 to $14.2M, debt-to-equity sits at just 0.09, equity funds about 76% of assets, and return on equity has recovered to 13.1%. TTM free cash flow of $41.1M grew about 59% year over year on minimal capital intensity, comfortably backing net income of $24.2M. Margins have expanded every year — gross margin to 27.5% and net margin to 9.5% TTM. The clear offset is three consecutive years of revenue decline, leaving sales roughly 23% below the 2022 peak, so earnings growth remains dependent on cost control rather than top-line expansion in a discretionary consumer category.
Income Statement
71PositiveBalance Sheet
86Very PositiveCash Flow
83Very Positive| Breakdown | TTM | Dec 2025 | Dec 2024 | Dec 2023 | Dec 2022 | Dec 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | ||||||
| Total Revenue | 241.66M | 240.16M | 251.51M | 263.57M | 313.76M | 313.61M |
| Gross Profit | 67.12M | 62.35M | 62.20M | 61.77M | 73.64M | 77.13M |
| EBITDA | 37.25M | 23.92M | 26.12M | 23.51M | 32.46M | 36.89M |
| Net Income | 24.25M | 13.70M | 12.99M | 9.83M | 17.99M | 24.41M |
Balance Sheet | ||||||
| Total Assets | 246.19M | 222.11M | 226.33M | 253.00M | 298.72M | 251.80M |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 24.53M | 11.88M | 4.19M | 16.00K | 3.97M | 4.37M |
| Total Debt | 14.21M | 19.76M | 26.83M | 59.83M | 104.52M | 60.56M |
| Total Liabilities | 58.46M | 48.89M | 57.33M | 88.43M | 140.24M | 105.18M |
| Stockholders Equity | 187.74M | 173.22M | 169.00M | 164.58M | 158.47M | 146.62M |
Cash Flow | ||||||
| Free Cash Flow | 41.14M | 28.50M | 34.01M | 46.24M | 6.41M | -8.62M |
| Operating Cash Flow | 44.63M | 31.01M | 36.05M | 48.33M | 8.52M | 1.07M |
| Investing Cash Flow | -5.93M | -4.81M | 3.93M | -1.95M | -37.83M | -9.65M |
| Financing Cash Flow | -17.68M | -18.52M | -35.80M | -50.33M | 28.90M | 9.45M |
Escalade Technical Analysis
Price Trends
Market Momentum
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For ESCA, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 19.70 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 18.75, above the 50-day MA of 19.30, and above the 200-day MA of 17.89, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 0.01 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 58.54 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 52.79 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for ESCA.
Escalade Risk Analysis
Escalade disclosed 40 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Escalade reported the most risks in the "Macro & Political" category.
Latest Risks Added
2 New RisksEscalade Peers Comparison
Overall Rating
ESCA75Outperform
CALY67Neutral
AOUT64Neutral
YETI64Neutral
CLAR57Neutral
JOUT56Neutral
Financial Indicators
| Name | Overall Rating | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | ROE | Dividend Yield | Revenue Growth | EPS Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75Outperform | $271.02M | 11.19 | 13.48% | 3.08% | 0.05% | 90.86% | |
| 67Neutral | $2.71B | 30.94 | 3.97% | 8.05% | -37.17% | 84.41% | |
| 64Neutral | $228.70M | -58.40 | -2.35% | ― | -5.84% | 13.11% | |
| 64Neutral | $3.19B | 18.82 | 27.27% | ― | 6.24% | 10.22% | |
| Sector * | 61Neutral | $18.38B | 12.79 | -2.54% | 3.03% | 1.52% | -15.83% |
| 57Neutral | $169.62M | -5.39 | -15.46% | 2.26% | -0.10% | 61.92% | |
| 56Neutral | $473.60M | -58.55 | -1.90% | 2.89% | 17.49% | 82.16% |
* Consumer Cyclical Sector Average
Performance Comparison
| Show on chart | Ticker | Company Name | Price | Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESCA | Escalade | 19.70 | 8.41 | 74.48% | |
| CLAR | Clarus Corp | 4.43 | 1.19 | 36.64% | |
| CALY | Callaway Golf Company | 15.16 | 6.21 | 69.39% | |
| JOUT | Johnson Outdoors | 45.67 | 6.62 | 16.95% | |
| YETI | Yeti Holdings | 43.66 | 10.12 | 30.17% | |
| AOUT | American Outdoor Brands, Inc. | 18.12 | 11.32 | 166.47% |
Escalade Corporate Events
Escalade Q3 2026 results highlight stronger profitability
PositiveEscalade reported its third-quarter 2026 results on October 29, 2026, showing that net sales fell 3.2% year over year to $65.6 million, mainly due to weaker basketball, indoor games, and table tennis sales against a prior period boosted by tariff-dri...
Escalade Expands Into Pet Market With ASL Acquisition
PositiveOn August 24, 2026, Escalade, Inc. acquired substantially all the assets of ASL Solutions, Inc., a U.S. maker of premium insulated pet houses, in a transaction deemed not material for financial reporting purposes. Escalade announced the deal on Augus...
Escalade Announces Dividend Amid Strong Q2 Performance
PositiveIn the second quarter ended June 30, 2026, Escalade reported net sales of $57.7 million, up 6.2% year over year, with gross margin improving to 26.2% and net income jumping to $9.4 million, or $0.68 per diluted share, from $1.8 million a year earlier...
Disclaimer
This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.
Date of analysis: Oct 29, 2026