Bloomin' Brands (NASDAQ:BLMN) Stock Price Up 4.9% - Time to Buy?

Bloomin' Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:BLMN - Get Free Report) shares shot up 4.9% during trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $8.37 and last traded at $8.34. 1,230,979 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 36% from the average session volume of 1,928,250 shares. The stock had previously closed at $7.95.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

BLMN has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their target price on Bloomin' Brands from $13.00 to $10.00 and set a "sell" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price objective on shares of Bloomin' Brands from $16.00 to $12.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Bloomin' Brands from $10.00 to $9.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 20th. Bank of America lowered shares of Bloomin' Brands from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $18.00 to $13.00 in a report on Monday, January 27th. Finally, UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of Bloomin' Brands from $16.00 to $13.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and ten have issued a hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $14.30.

Bloomin' Brands Stock Down 3.5 %

The company has a quick ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.46. The firm has a market capitalization of $679.45 million, a PE ratio of -72.95 and a beta of 1.76. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $8.48 and its 200 day simple moving average is $11.69.

Bloomin' Brands Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 26th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 11th were issued a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.50%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 11th. Bloomin' Brands's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -40.27%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Patrick M. Hafner sold 9,555 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $8.32, for a total value of $79,497.60. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 3.00% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Bloomin' Brands

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in BLMN. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in Bloomin' Brands in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new stake in shares of Bloomin' Brands in the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Bloomin' Brands during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $41,000. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Bloomin' Brands in the 4th quarter worth $45,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in shares of Bloomin' Brands by 28.9% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 6,304 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 1,414 shares during the last quarter.

About Bloomin' Brands

Bloomin' Brands, Inc engages in the acquisition, operation, design, and development of restaurant concepts. It operates through the U.S. and International geographical segments. The U.S. segment operates in the USA and Puerto Rico. The International segment operates in Brazil, South Korea, Hong Kong, and China.