Jack In The Box Inc. (NASDAQ:JACK) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Brokerages

Shares of Jack In The Box Inc. (NASDAQ:JACK) have been given an average rating of “Hold” by the twenty-one research firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have assigned a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $25.60.

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on JACK shares. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Jack In The Box in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Oppenheimer dropped their target price on shares of Jack In The Box from $28.00 to $24.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Citigroup raised their price target on Jack In The Box from $16.00 to $23.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Jack In The Box from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Jack In The Box from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, January 19th.

Insider Transactions at Jack In The Box

In related news, SVP Steven Piano sold 1,491 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.08, for a total transaction of $28,448.28. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 27,053 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $516,171.24. This trade represents a 5.22% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Sarah L. Super sold 2,114 shares of Jack In The Box stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.08, for a total value of $40,335.12. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 32,640 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $622,771.20. This trade represents a 6.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 12,462 shares of company stock valued at $247,352. Company insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Jack In The Box

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its holdings in Jack In The Box by 192.9% during the third quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 744,141 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $14,712,000 after buying an additional 490,071 shares during the period. Nantahala Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Jack In The Box by 44.3% during the 4th quarter. Nantahala Capital Management LLC now owns 865,990 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $16,411,000 after purchasing an additional 265,990 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its holdings in Jack In The Box by 519.5% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 241,444 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $4,773,000 after buying an additional 202,469 shares during the period. Ruffer LLP purchased a new stake in Jack In The Box in the fourth quarter valued at $3,223,000. Finally, Two Sigma Investments LP grew its holdings in Jack In The Box by 186.4% during the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 236,606 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $4,678,000 after acquiring an additional 154,002 shares during the period. 99.79% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Jack In The Box Stock Performance

Shares of JACK opened at $20.73 on Friday. Jack In The Box has a fifty-two week low of $13.99 and a fifty-two week high of $41.09. The stock has a market cap of $395.94 million, a PE ratio of -4.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 1.14. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $20.73 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $19.12.

Jack In The Box (NASDAQ:JACK) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 19th. The restaurant operator reported $0.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.46 by ($0.16). The company had revenue of $326.19 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $324.23 million. Jack In The Box had a negative net margin of 5.51% and a negative return on equity of 9.23%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.16 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Jack In The Box will post 5.33 EPS for the current year.

Jack In The Box Company Profile

Jack in the Box (NASDAQ: JACK) is a publicly traded quick-service restaurant company best known for its Jack in the Box brand of fast-food restaurants. Founded in 1951 by Robert O. Peterson and headquartered in San Diego, California, the company has operated for decades as a franchisor and operator of drive-thru and dine-in restaurants. Its business model combines company-owned locations with franchise arrangements, and the company focuses on building brand recognition through menu innovation, marketing and service convenience.

The company’s core offerings center on a broad fast-food menu that includes hamburgers (notably the Jumbo Jack), tacos, breakfast items, sandwiches, salads, sides and specialty limited-time items.