Sturm Ruger Blows Away Earnings

Sturm, Ruger & Co. Inc. (NYSE: RGR) has reported its fourth quarter earnings. If you have been to a gun store or sporting goods store which sells fire arms, it was obviously going to be a great quarter. Most gun and ammunition inventories around the country were sold out to the point that you couldn’t find what you wanted at the retail level and the supply chain was cleaned out top to bottom.

The gun-maker reported quarterly earnings of $1.00 per share on sales of $141.8 million. These represent gains of 85% on earnings and 52% on revenues. The consensus EPS estimate called for $0.94 on revenues of $124 million. In the after-hours session, shares are trading up 2.8% at $55.00.

Ruger shares closed up 0.7% at $53.51 in regular trading against a 52-week range of $34.22 to $60.11. This is against a near-term low of $40.00 on December 18 in the aftermath of the tragedy that acted as the catalyst for the gun control debate again. Shares of Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation (NASDAQ: SWHC) rose by 4.3% today to $9.34 against a 52-week range of $5.11 to $11.25.

Big 5 Sporting Goods Corp. (NASDAQ: BGFV) blew past its earnings estimates as its hard goods segment was pumped up by a huge demand boost in guns and ammunition. Even Cabela’s Incorporated (NYSE: CAB) confessed that strong gun and ammo demand added a full point to its entire same-store sales gains when it gave earnings in mid-February.

Is it time to release that Gun ETF yet?