Trexquant Investment LP Buys 34,480 Shares of Potbelly Co. (NASDAQ:PBPB)

Trexquant Investment LP raised its position in shares of Potbelly Co. (NASDAQ:PBPB - Free Report) by 64.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 87,976 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 34,480 shares during the period. Trexquant Investment LP owned 0.29% of Potbelly worth $829,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. FMR LLC raised its position in Potbelly by 1,101.9% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 8,678 shares of the company's stock valued at $72,000 after acquiring an additional 7,956 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its holdings in shares of Potbelly by 177.2% during the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 34,978 shares of the company's stock valued at $292,000 after purchasing an additional 22,359 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its stake in shares of Potbelly by 1.4% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 498,915 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,161,000 after purchasing an additional 7,022 shares during the last quarter. XTX Topco Ltd increased its position in Potbelly by 4.8% during the third quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 31,984 shares of the company's stock worth $267,000 after buying an additional 1,456 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Barclays PLC increased its holdings in shares of Potbelly by 247.8% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 39,780 shares of the company's stock valued at $332,000 after acquiring an additional 28,342 shares during the last quarter. 72.60% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Potbelly Price Performance

Shares of PBPB traded up $0.03 on Thursday, hitting $7.92. The company's stock had a trading volume of 44,552 shares, compared to its average volume of 218,543. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $10.34 and a 200 day moving average price of $9.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a current ratio of 0.49 and a quick ratio of 0.43. The company has a market capitalization of $238.96 million, a PE ratio of 6.34 and a beta of 1.38. Potbelly Co. has a fifty-two week low of $6.28 and a fifty-two week high of $13.48.

Insider Activity at Potbelly

In related news, major shareholder David Nierenberg purchased 22,169 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 28th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $9.36 per share, with a total value of $207,501.84. Following the completion of the purchase, the insider now directly owns 124,167 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,162,203.12. This trade represents a 21.73 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 10.20% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently commented on PBPB shares. William Blair reiterated a "market perform" rating on shares of Potbelly in a report on Thursday, March 20th. StockNews.com lowered Potbelly from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 26th. Finally, Benchmark restated a "buy" rating and set a $16.00 price target on shares of Potbelly in a research note on Friday, March 7th.

Potbelly Company Profile

Potbelly Corporation, through its subsidiaries, owns, operates, and franchises Potbelly sandwich shops in the United States. The company was formerly known as Potbelly Sandwich Works, Inc and changed its name to Potbelly Corporation in 2002. Potbelly Corporation was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.