Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (NASDAQ:CBRL) Shares Gap Up Following Strong Earnings

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. (NASDAQ:CBRL)’s stock price gapped up before the market opened on Thursday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock had previously closed at $30.62, but opened at $34.00. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store shares last traded at $30.42, with a volume of 839,515 shares traded.

The restaurant operator reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.10) by $0.35. The business had revenue of $874.82 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $862.89 million. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store had a positive return on equity of 4.25% and a negative net margin of 0.12%.The company’s quarterly revenue was down 7.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.38 EPS.

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store’s payout ratio is currently 133.33%.

More Cracker Barrel Old Country Store News

Here are the key news stories impacting Cracker Barrel Old Country Store this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 earnings beat expectations — Cracker Barrel reported $0.25 EPS versus a consensus loss, which provided near‑term relief and supported after‑hours strength following the print. Zacks: Q2 Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support — multiple firms raised price targets (e.g., Truist to $47 with a Buy, Wells Fargo to $35 Equal Weight, UBS to $31 Neutral), which can limit downside and attract buyers who follow analyst revisions. Truist PT Raise
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend reinstated — the company declared a $0.25 quarterly dividend (annualized yield ~3.3%), which supports income‑oriented investors and reduces selling pressure from yield seekers.
• Neutral Sentiment: Company messaging and calls — management hosted the Q2 call and released transcripts; commentary framed as “progress amid pressure,” but execution details and timing remain uncertain. TipRanks: Earnings Call Summary
• Neutral Sentiment: Rebuild plans after logo controversy — the company has outlined steps to fix brand and operations after last year’s logo backlash; this reduces long‑term reputational risk but the financial payoff is unclear. Inc: Plans to Rebuild
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest data appears unreliable — recent entries show zero shares/NaN changes, so short‑interest signals are not informative for current move.
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue and comps weakness — revenues fell year‑over‑year (~7.9% in the quarter) and comps declined; management narrowed its FY26 sales outlook, which pressures near‑term growth expectations and valuation. Seeking Alpha: Results & Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Ongoing reputational drag — major press coverage highlights that Cracker Barrel is still repairing its business after the logo fiasco; that continued scrutiny can weigh on traffic and investor confidence. WSJ: Works to Repair Business
• Negative Sentiment: Mixed analyst stance — Citigroup raised its target to $28 but kept a Sell rating, signaling continued analyst skepticism despite isolated PT lifts; this mixed messaging can keep sentiment volatile. Benzinga: Citi PT

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. Gordon Haskett upgraded Cracker Barrel Old Country Store to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. UBS Group increased their price objective on Cracker Barrel Old Country Store from $26.00 to $31.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday. Piper Sandler dropped their target price on Cracker Barrel Old Country Store from $49.00 to $27.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Zacks Research raised shares of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, December 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $37.75.

Insider Activity

In related news, major shareholder Gmt Capital Corp sold 42,400 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.56, for a total transaction of $1,083,744.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 2,240,200 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $57,259,512. This represents a 1.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders sold 254,400 shares of company stock valued at $6,661,464 in the last three months. Insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. GMT Capital Corp raised its stake in Cracker Barrel Old Country Store by 39.7% in the second quarter. GMT Capital Corp now owns 2,833,700 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $173,082,000 after purchasing an additional 805,100 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. grew its stake in Cracker Barrel Old Country Store by 19.5% during the third quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 1,459,983 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $64,327,000 after buying an additional 237,741 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its stake in Cracker Barrel Old Country Store by 13,737.1% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 930,131 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $40,982,000 after buying an additional 923,409 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its holdings in Cracker Barrel Old Country Store by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 872,995 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $22,174,000 after buying an additional 9,332 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in shares of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store by 2.2% in the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 743,413 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $32,756,000 after buying an additional 15,661 shares in the last quarter. 96.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Stock Down 5.2%

The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $31.01 and its 200 day moving average price is $35.96. The company has a current ratio of 0.49, a quick ratio of 0.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90. The company has a market capitalization of $657.98 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -163.55 and a beta of 1.24.

About Cracker Barrel Old Country Store

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc operates a distinctive combination of country-themed restaurants and retail stores across the United States. Since its founding in 1969, the company has focused on providing a nostalgic dining experience reminiscent of Southern hospitality, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner with an emphasis on traditional comfort foods.

The restaurant segment offers an extensive menu featuring signature items such as buttermilk pancakes, country ham, biscuits and gravy, meatloaf and pot roast.