J&J Snack Foods Corp. (NASDAQ:JJSF) Short Interest Up 18.6% in January

J&J Snack Foods Corp. (NASDAQ:JJSF - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest during the month of January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 893,200 shares, an increase of 18.6% from the January 15th total of 753,400 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 112,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 7.9 days. Approximately 5.8% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on JJSF. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price on shares of J&J Snack Foods from $175.00 to $135.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Benchmark reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $200.00 price target on shares of J&J Snack Foods in a report on Tuesday, February 4th.

J&J Snack Foods Trading Up 0.5 %

JJSF stock traded up $0.67 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $124.85. The stock had a trading volume of 78,856 shares, compared to its average volume of 145,492. The firm has a market cap of $2.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.77 and a beta of 0.64. J&J Snack Foods has a 1-year low of $116.60 and a 1-year high of $180.80. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $143.73 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $160.11.

J&J Snack Foods (NASDAQ:JJSF - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, February 3rd. The company reported $0.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.62 by ($0.29). J&J Snack Foods had a net margin of 5.31% and a return on equity of 9.84%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that J&J Snack Foods will post 5.13 EPS for the current year.

J&J Snack Foods Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 8th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 18th will be issued a dividend of $0.78 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 18th. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.50%. J&J Snack Foods's dividend payout ratio is currently 71.89%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On J&J Snack Foods

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in JJSF. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of J&J Snack Foods by 163.6% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 319 shares of the company's stock worth $50,000 after acquiring an additional 198 shares in the last quarter. Johnson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in J&J Snack Foods in the 4th quarter worth about $55,000. Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in J&J Snack Foods by 39,000.0% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 391 shares of the company's stock worth $63,000 after purchasing an additional 390 shares in the last quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. bought a new stake in J&J Snack Foods in the 4th quarter worth about $74,000. Finally, Huntington National Bank grew its position in J&J Snack Foods by 25.4% in the 4th quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 513 shares of the company's stock worth $80,000 after purchasing an additional 104 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.04% of the company's stock.

About J&J Snack Foods

J&J Snack Foods Corp. engages in the manufacturing of nutritional snack foods and distribution of frozen beverages to the food service and retail supermarket industries. It operates through the following segments: Food Service, Retail Supermarkets, and Frozen Beverages. The Food Service segment includes soft pretzels, frozen novelties, churros, handheld products, and baked goods.