Jack in the Box (NASDAQ:JACK) Upgraded to "Hold" at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Jack in the Box (NASDAQ:JACK - Free Report) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note released on Thursday.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on JACK. Northcoast Research cut Jack in the Box from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, November 14th. Oppenheimer dropped their price objective on Jack in the Box from $60.00 to $52.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of Jack in the Box from $50.00 to $44.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on Jack in the Box from $53.00 to $45.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Finally, Truist Financial cut their target price on shares of Jack in the Box from $57.00 to $51.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Jack in the Box has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $49.56.

Jack in the Box Price Performance

Shares of Jack in the Box stock traded down $2.62 on Thursday, hitting $35.82. 848,950 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 669,594. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $39.51 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $44.28. The stock has a market capitalization of $675.49 million, a PE ratio of -18.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.94. Jack in the Box has a one year low of $32.69 and a one year high of $76.56.

Jack in the Box (NASDAQ:JACK - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 25th. The restaurant operator reported $1.92 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.71 by $0.21. Jack in the Box had a negative net margin of 2.34% and a negative return on equity of 15.79%. The company had revenue of $469.44 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $470.47 million. On average, analysts forecast that Jack in the Box will post 5.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Jack in the Box Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 8th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.44 per share. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.91%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 20th. Jack in the Box's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -82.63%.

Insider Activity

In other Jack in the Box news, SVP Sarah L. Super sold 1,688 shares of Jack in the Box stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.52, for a total transaction of $68,397.76. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 16,815 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $681,343.80. The trade was a 9.12 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 2,190 shares of company stock worth $92,961. Insiders own 1.40% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Jack in the Box

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale bought a new stake in Jack in the Box during the third quarter valued at $41,000. Emerald Advisers LLC increased its holdings in shares of Jack in the Box by 2.9% during the third quarter. Emerald Advisers LLC now owns 200,067 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $9,311,000 after acquiring an additional 5,582 shares in the last quarter. Access Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Jack in the Box during the third quarter worth $1,475,000. GSA Capital Partners LLP bought a new stake in shares of Jack in the Box during the third quarter worth about $229,000. Finally, Aigen Investment Management LP raised its holdings in shares of Jack in the Box by 238.5% in the 3rd quarter. Aigen Investment Management LP now owns 21,869 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $1,018,000 after acquiring an additional 15,409 shares during the last quarter. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Jack in the Box Company Profile

Jack in the Box Inc operates and franchises Jack in the Box and Del Taco quick-service restaurants in the United States. The company was founded in 1951 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.